Nathan Jones is expecting a busy end to the transfer window as he tries to sign the central midfielder he wants – but it won’t be Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after last season’s loan sensation made his Premier League debut for Leicester City today.
The Luton boss says he has options as Tuesday’s deadline approaches, but a phone call with Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers this week, and then an 86th minute introduction off the bench for Dewsbury-Hall in today’s 2-1 win at Leicester has ended any faint hope of the young ace returning.
“Kiernan’s done fantastically well,” said Jones, adding: “To be fair, it’s bittersweet really because we’d love to have him back but if we can’t get him back we want him to be in Leicester’s team.
“I spoke to Brendan (Rodgers) this week and he’s categorically staying with them.”
After hearing Dewsbury-Hall replaced James Maddison at Carrow Road, Jones said: “We should be proud of that because he’s a great kid. I mean absolutely phenomenal. I loved working with him. I speak to him every week, near enough, and he’s proper.
“So, the fact he’s playing in the Premier League is what we all wanted. Well, we probably wanted him to come back and Leicester has to sell him. So, that didn’t happen.
“But I’m so happy he’s playing in the Premier League.”
So Jones’ midfielder search continues and asked if he has others irons in the fire, the manager said: “Oh, plenty. We have got names, we have got things we want to do, but these are the most difficult ones to do because we’ve waited to try to get something really good.
“Last year we did it with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall so we’ve just waited to try to do it (again). We haven’t jumped, haven’t taken one early and by doing that we’ve already lost one of the targets, who went somewhere else.
“That happens, but we’re in a decent position.”
