"No-brainer" - Luton Town backed to secure deal for Wycombe Wanderers ace | OneFootball

FLW's Luton Town dan pundit has had his say on the latest bid for Richard Kone, as well as the striker problem facing Matt Bloomfield.

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 have submitted another bid for in-form Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone, having had their first transfer approach knocked back.

He has been a regular scorer in League One since a move to Adams Park last January, and his impressive form this season has seemingly caught the attention of numerous clubs in the Championship ahead of a potential move before the transfer deadline.

Matt Bloomfield is looking to raid his former club to boost his new side's chances of surviving a shock relegation this season. The ex-Chairboys boss is now reportedly targeting a reunion with Kone at Luton to help bolster his attacking options.

Football League World exclusively revealed the Hatters' interest in Kone prior to boss Bloomfield's switch to the Championship side last month, with Luton having sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old on several occasions this season.

Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke claimed that Luton had seen an official bid to sign Kone rejected by Wycombe, with the fee put forward currently unclear at this moment in time. However, O'Rourke has since reported of an improved bid in their quest to recruit Kone.

The Luton Town verdict on Richard Kone

The 21-year-old signed a new deal with the Chairboys in November, likely to increase his wages to better reflect his worth to the club, but it remains to be seen what kind of fee it would take to prise him from their grasp in the coming weeks.

FLW's Luton fan pundit Simon Mills was asked about the club's striker problem this season and the reasons for that, as well as how high he expects the club to go in their pursuit of Kone.

He said: "At the start of the transfer window, Gary Sweet said that he wanted Luton Town to be aggressive and to get deals done.

"We have only secured a deal for Isaiah Jones so far from Middlesbrough. That was for about £5 million, I think it was.

"We have also signed a player called Christ Makossow, who is more of a youth player.

"I think we will go up to about £4 million or £5 million for Kone, probably. I hope.

"I think we will try our best to get the deal done. Wycombe might not actually be in a position where they have to sell.

"But Kone might want to link back up with Bloomfield and we could offer decent wages.

"I also think we are in a false position right now, so we could be an attractive proposition for him.

"I think that the reason we haven't been quite so clinical this season is because we lacked pace for quite a significant period of the season when we sold Chiedozie Ogbene off to Ipswich [Town].

"We have rectified that slightly with the signing of Jones, but I also think we lack a creative midfielder in the team, in order to serve up those chances.

"I also think Elijah Adebayo is having one of the worst seasons I've ever seen him play. He just doesn't look fit or on the ball.

"Hopefully, that can turn around. But we are heading towards February, so signing someone like Kone would be a no-brainer for me to push Carlton Morris and Adebayo."

Richard Kone could be an excellent long-term signing

Kone was being courted by both Premier League and EFL teams throughout his time in non-league, but he joined Wycombe last January after an extended trial, and he made an immediate impact with a goal in the EFL Trophy quarter-finals on his debut for the club.

He has kicked on further this season to become one of League One's leading marksmen, with 17 strikes and two assists in 35 games in league and cup. That is hard to ignore at his age, and highlights his potential and how big of an asset he could be in the long-term as well.

Luton's strikers have flattered to deceive this season, with Morris on seven league goals so far, Adebayo on five and Jacob Brown on three strikes, while only four Championship teams have scored fewer than the Hatters as a team up to now.