Zambrano, Mengi, and more: Rob Edwards addresses the January window

Transfer murmurs from Friday's press conference at the Brache.

Luton Town’s transfer rumour mill has gone into early overdrive since ticking into January 2024. A quick glance at Twitter will tell you that much. While it’s been an often side-stepped topic at the weekly press conferences (spurred on by the ever-inquisitive Mike Simmonds) - now into the window, talk of a certain Ecuadorean has become more unavoidable than ever for Rob Edwards.

Not only with the transfer window, but also with the injury to Marvelous Nakamba - midfield has been the focus. The boss was confident in what the club already has.

“We’ve still got good options there. Obviously Ross and Sambi have been playing well there for the last few games. We’ve got Jordan Clark, Pelly, Berry as well. Really good options to come in.”

“We do miss Marv. He gives us something different and something that’s really unique in that position. I’ll say it again, we have the scope to improve the group if we think there’s someone who can really help us and make us better. If that isn’t achievable for us, I love what we’ve got here.”

So… What about Oscar Zambrano?

The Edwards’ raise of the eyebrow as an initial reaction to this question was as predictable as Pelly’s raucous pool noises from the games room next door.

The 19-year-old has attracted the interest of Bournemouth, Celtic, and even Manchester United in what seems to steadily be evolving into a frustrating saga. The club have been following the midfielder since last year, even sending scout Phil Chapple to analyse the LDU Quito string-puller who has impressed in just 14 LigaPro games. When asked about whether a bid had been placed, Edwards was blunt but fair.

“No. There’s not been, no. We’ve had this conversation quite a few times. We have been linked with him but it’s news to me that it keeps cropping up. It’s not something I’m pushing from my side.”

“We’re aware of him, he’s a really good young player but I don’t think there’s too much in that.”

On to the next it seems, and while Luton Town can now boast about Premier League status - in the transfer window it can be an unwanted spotlight on some talented players. Any run of form, especially with a team trying to defy the expectations of top-tier snobs, is almost as much a gift as it is a curse. This is something noticeable with the excellent performances of Teden Mengi, as Fulham and Crystal Palace have both registered interest. The manager went into more depth about how his centre back has earned that respect.

“T’s been a revelation since coming in. He’s played more games than perhaps we anticipated he would, but he’s just taken to it like a duck to water. He deserves to be starting the games because he’s playing the way he is. He’s become a really important player for us. Ahead of schedule, we knew this could happen long term, but he’s done great. You can understand it. A 21-year-old performing so well against the best players in the world.”

Like many fans will already know, Mengi came in with relatively little senior first team experience. His times on loan with Derby County and Birmingham City were hindered by a recurring hamstring injury. An additional aspect of his impressive development, is the decisive brave thinking to step away from Manchester United, his boyhood club of 14 years.

On the face of it, Luton took a chance on Mengi’s potential as much as he took a chance on the Town. 13 league games in, the Luton stopper has looked to repay that faith. Citing the defender’s admirable outlook to rest and recovery, as much as his clearly favoured strength and conditioning, Edwards continued:

“He’s a really powerful boy, he’s really, really quick as well. That could be a risk with his hamstring but he’s managed his body really well. He really values his stuff in the gym just as well as the training. He’s strong, robust, and showing that at the moment but that’s down to him valuing that other stuff. He’s been great with that.”

The last drips of info provided on Friday regarding transfers took a broad look at the club’s transfer ideology. Considering the promotion to the Premier League, there were two key aspects to consider for Rob Edwards: 1) Is the money there? 2) Are the Hatters shopping from a different market since going up?

In regards to the club’s funding, Edwards emphasised the cooperation between him and his staff, and the higher ups.

“We’ll have the backing if something works for us and we feel that they can help us. If they’re the right kind of player or person. At the right price, then yeah I think we’ve got the scope to do it. We’re not going to do that with many players, but if it’s the right one - then I think there’ll be a little bit to spend there. There’s no point splashing it out on two, three, or four. You don’t need that anywhere, I don’t want to make too many big adjustments to the group. You know my thoughts on it. The spirit here is really, really good. I don’t want to upset the dynamics of that.”

“Obviously, we’ve spent more than we’ve ever spent and I know that by a Premier League standard, that wasn’t loads. But by our standards and what we’ve done historically, we probably are. By Premier League standards we’re not in the same markets as some other teams, but that’s completely fine and I’m good with that because that’s how we do things. I like how we do things, so I think there’s still that same kind of message of how we were in the Summer. If you think back to last January, we’re probably in a different situation as we’re in a different league. But, we’re still sensible - ‘still sensible’ is the key message.”