Graeme Jones says defenders are his top priority this January transfer window, but that Sheffield United defender Ben Heneghan is not on his shopping list – with no signings imminent before the Bournemouth FA Cup third round clash.
Reports emerged in the last 24 hours that the centre back, currently on loan at Blackpool in League One, is a target for the Hatters, Wigan and Blackburn Rovers, with his stay at Bloomfield Road set to come to an end on January 14.
But when asked about the 26-year-old, the Town boss said: “It’s the first time that’s been put to me. I’ve got to be honest and say no.”
Luton do have the worst defensive record in the Championship, having shipped 56 goals already this term, including three in each of their last three games.
When asked where he wants to strengthen, Jones said: “If I was assessing what’s gone on, you would say that we can score goals. I think we’re maybe 12th in the table. We don’t stop enough goals going in, so that will definitely be an area that I want some help in, definitely. I doesn’t need a rocket scientist to say that.
“That is the area we’re looking in but, obviously, we haven’t got buckets of cash to go out and buy anybody. It would be easy to Football Manager now and say, ‘I’ll have Harry Maguire, I’ll have Virgil van Dijk.’ It would solve a lot of our problems, but we’re not in that situation.
“We’re in a realistic situation that we’re not going to break a wage structure. I might have to get certain people to leave before I can get certain people in, but we are all working towards that because we need some new energy.”
Jones will also assess whether to bring back defender Donervon Daniels from his loan at Doncaster Rovers.
Town signed the 26-year-old former Wigan and Blackpool centre back on a free in September and immediately loaned him to the Yorkshire outfit, where he’s played 13 times.
Jones said: “I’ve been delighted with his experience at Doncaster, because Donervon came here with great potential, great pedigree, a little bit overweight. He hadn’t played a lot, had a difficult year, personally, with bereavement, so we wanted to get him out on loan.
“He’s lost weight, he’s played more regular, so it’s something I’m definitely assessing, whether to bring him back or not.”
