Luton manager Nathan Jones has revealed all the factors he’s wrestling with over which players to send out on loan.
The Hatters boss is not expecting a “crazy” end to the transfer window, but he has been consistent that loan moves will be needed for some of his younger players.
Reports have emerged of contract talks with Dion Pereira and then a possible loan move, while there are decisions to make on Elliot Thorpe, Louie Watson and Admiral Muskwe.
Thorpe has made his first-team Championship debut this month, featuring three times in league and cup action, while there has been just one Carabao Cup appearance apiece for Watson and Pereira, who impressed in pre-season.
Asked if the latter’s strong summer has put him nearer to first-team action, Jones said: “He is closer, but we’ve probably got the likes of Dion, Thorpey, Louie Watson, for example, who are young players that need the exposure to games but also that we see their long-term future being here.
“So, it’s about are they going to impact now, a lot? If no, will getting 15-20 games at another club benefit them more than just being around and involved with us.
“That’s the balance we have. Yes, they’re all closer. Dion’s closer, Thorpey’s closer. We paid money for Louie Watson and brought him in, so we’ve got high hopes for him.
“So it’s about moving forwards. I understand fans will want Pereira to play, or Thorpey’s done brilliant, but we’ve got a strong squad now.
“In League Two these would be playing. Pereira would play. Thorpe would get more exposure. At League One they’d be closer.
“Now, we’re a very strong and athletic Championship side. We love to play youngsters but we’ve got a lot of good players now that are slightly ahead of them, so to keep their development, that’s the reason that we loan them out.
“Then everyone keeps moving forwards and in six months they come back. We never let anyone go from this football club that we don’t really need to.
“It’s well publicised that we lost Kal Naismith, but that’s probably the only one that has gone from this football club, since I’ve been here, that we haven’t really calculated for.
“We’ve never been caught unawares. Even the likes of Kioso, we’d have kept Peter but he wasn’t happy at being a squad player and I couldn’t guarantee him time, so you have to keep everyone moving forward.
“We make sane decisions here, regardless of how positive or negative they seem to the outside. We make sane decisions here because everyone’s involved in the process. It isn’t just my decision, it’s a process.”
With Carlos Mendes Gomes going on loan to Fleetwood, there had been some suggestion that a loan move may be sought for Muskwe.
But the Zimbabwe international started in Saturday’s 2-0 Championship win at Swansea and impressed in his 60 minutes on the pitch.
Asked if that push the 24-year-old higher up the reckoning, Jones said: “It’s evaluating what’s best for him. He’ll be a valuable member of our squad, it’s just what game time he has. Then you have to balance that against development and improvement.
“If he stays in and around us, he’ll play games. Then it’s how many games he plays and we’ll have a decision. Would 15-20 games wherever, would that benefit him. So it’s all these decisions we have to make.
“Admiral’s really close, we always trust in Admiral. We like him, he has something totally different from what we have, it’s just how much are we going to use him?
“We have to be fair to him, to everyone really, and keep everyone moving forward. Then, of course, Admiral has to take those opportunities when he gets them.
“He was part of a real good performance at the weekend. We had to be at our best, beating a real tough Swansea team, and he was part of that.
“So, of course he’s closer because we trust him to start in Championship games.”
Muskwe to go out on loan? You cannot be serious!