"I love him" – Luton Town urged to strike fresh Bristol City transfer deal | OneFootball

Our Luton Town Fan Pundit feels strongly about signing Kal Naismith permanently

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Luton Town conducted plenty of transfer business in the January window, but one of the standout performers has been loanee Kal Naismith.

The defender was with the Hatters permanently for 18 months, but left on a free transfer at the end of his contract in 2022 to join Bristol City.

Struggling for regular game time there, he headed back to Kenilworth Road this winter on a short-term loan deal.

We asked our Luton Fan Pundit, Simon Mills, whether the Hatters should be considering a permanent deal. His answer couldn’t have been much more emphatic.

Naismith has a place at Luton Town

Speaking to Football League World, Simon said: “If it was down to me, Kal Naismith would've never left the club in the first place.

“I know that back when he did join Bristol City they were able to increase his wage and we hadn't yet been to the glory land of the Premier League but now that he's back it’s like he's never left. He's been fantastic.

“He has brought calmness to the defence, which we have sorely lacked for so long, whenever he's played.

“If it was down to me, we would make him captain for the rest of this season at a minimum.

“I definitely think there's a place for Kal Naismith at Luton Town Football Club for the remainder of his career. I love him.”

Naismith has been a breath of fresh air at Luton

It has proved an inspired decision to bring Naismith back to Luton temporarily, based on his first few games back.

The Hatters have brought a few promising, but fairly young defenders into the club in recent years, including the likes of Teden Mengi and Mark McGuinness.

On arrival, Naismith became the only out-and-out centre-back in the squad over the age of 30 – other than Tom Lockyer, who has faced an extended spell on the sidelines with a heart issue.

The seniority, leadership and experience that Naismith has injected therefore appears to have worked a treat.

In two of the three full 90 minutes Naismith has played, Luton have taken an important point off Plymouth Argyle and registered all three against Portsmouth.

Given Luton remain in the relegation zone, and both of those clubs are in and around the same position, these were vital games to get something from.

It is those high-pressure situations where footballing ability will only take you so far. You also need strong leadership to instil confidence in a side to perform to their highest level despite knowing what’s on the line.

In Naismith, it seems the club have found – or re-found – their man.

Given what he’s already offered in just a few games, a permanent deal would not be a bad shout.

He’s only just turned 33, so for a defender, he should still have a few seasons left in him – and given his contract expires at the end of this season with the Robins, he wouldn't break the bank either.

If Luton survive, the journey back up towards the top of the Championship will not be an easy one. They will need leaders, and Naismith has already proven himself capable of providing that presence.