Luton Town have moved quickly to secure Gideon Kodua on a permanent deal from West Ham, a decision that both rewards the club’s current top scorer this season and neatly resolves a growing selection headache for Jack Wilshere.
By triggering the option to buy the 21-year-old attacker, subject to EFL approval, the Hatters reduce their number of loan players at the club to five, the maximum that can be named in a matchday squad. That issue had been sharpened by the arrival of three more loan signings – Emilio Lawrence, Kasey Palmer and Davy van den Berg – in the January transfer window, making Kodua’s permanent switch as practical as it was inevitable.
Kodua has been one of Luton’s most influential players this season, scoring ten goals in 31 appearances while operating on either flank or just behind the striker. His impact has only increased since Wilshere took charge in mid-October, with eight of those goals coming in 20 games under the new head coach.
Wilshere, who admitted last month that the deal to secure Kodua’s services would be done, whether sooner or later, made clear how central the youngster has become to his plans, both on and off the pitch.
“Gids is so important to how we want to play. He’s one that I knew plenty about before I came here, after scoring against my team in the FA Youth Cup final for West Ham, but since we’ve been in he has been outstanding for us,” the manager told the club’s website.
“His contribution in terms of output is there for all to see with the number of goals he’s scored. But what you don’t see is his attitude to working and improving himself on a daily basis at the training ground.
“He’s emerged as a key character within the squad and someone we are so pleased to have on board now for the long-term, and not just the remainder of this season.”
For Kodua, making the move permanent was a moment he had been waiting for, having quickly become a firm favourite with supporters at Kenilworth Road.
“I’m so happy to have made the move permanent. It’s something I’ve wanted,” he said.
“You can see on the pitch how passionate I am playing for the club and contributing. It’s about continuing what I’ve been doing, scoring goals and playing well.
“It’s been like going back to my old ways. When I was 18, this was normal to me, being a goalscorer. It was just about transitioning into the men’s game and showing people that I can do it at senior level.
“I have my own goals and targets for the season, which I won’t say now but I’ll let you know by May!”
Kodua was initially brought to Luton by former boss Matt Bloomfield, under whom he had previously played for at Wycombe, but he has spoken warmly about the impact Wilshere has had on his development since the former Arsenal ace took over the managerial hotseat in October.
“I’m so grateful to Matt for bringing me here and Jack’s been amazing to me,” Kodua said. “He wants to improve me as a player, which is the main thing for me, and he wants to elevate my career.
“I feel like I am improving day by day with my knowledge of the game, tactically and technically, so he has been good to me in terms of my development. I can’t complain!
“I just want to excite the fans and give back to them, and as I’ve said before, I never take anything for granted. Every time I do put it in the net, it means more because we know what we want to go somewhere this season together. Hopefully they keep loving me!”
The timing of the announcement will lift the mood around Kenilworth Road ahead of tomorrow’s lunchtime home game with Bradford City, which kicks off at 12.31pm as part of the British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign.
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