Rob Edwards says that transfer signings may “dictate” any exits out of the club, with the Luton manager’s position unchanged about potential loans away from Kenilworth Road for forwards Joe Taylor and John McAtee.
Prior to the Hatters pre-season camp in Slovenia, the 41-year-old said he would be monitoring the pair with a view to whether they could challenge for the first-team or would benefit from game time elsewhere. Taylor made five Championship appearances last year for the Hatters, but spent last season impressing with double-figure goalscoring spells at Colchester United and Lincoln City.
The former Peterborough hitman featured in Saturday’s 3-1 friendly defeat to Celta Vigo, though McAtee, who was on loan with Barnsley last term, wasn’t in the final pre-season squad.
Both forwards have been linked with loan moves away from Kenilworth Road, with reported interest from Bolton in McAtee and Huddersfield in Taylor.
But reflecting on his comments from the beginning of pre-season on assessing the pair’s immediate future, Edwards told The Lutonian on Saturday: “We’re still in that situation because obviously we haven’t brought too many in either, so that might dictate the numbers in the squad. As we are at the moment, they’re in the building with us.”
There have also been rumours this summer of transfer interest in senior first-team players Andros Townsend and Tahith Chong, with Turkish Super Lig side Alanyaspor reportedly keen on the former and a host of Premier League clubs apparently monitoring Chong.
Edwards said: “I think there’s always rumours and with good players we’re going to have that. We can cope.
“We’re in a position where we don’t have to sell anybody. The only way people will leave is if it’s right for us as well as the individual, so I want to make that one clear.
“It won’t be many people if anyone was to (go). I have to stress that. People only go if it’s right for the football club as well and we can get stronger from that.”
