Fabrizio Romano has exclusively revealed that Luton Town are set to sign Manchester City wonderkid Emilio Lawrence on loan until the end of the season!
Romano claims that Hatters boss, Jack Wilshere, was instrumental in the signing of Lawrence, with the 20 year old already accepting the deal to make the move to Bedfordshire.
With that being said, we looked at what Lawrence can bring to the Luton team, and what this could potentially mean for the rest of Luton’s team as the January transfer window progresses.
The young winger has already showed flashes of his potential in youth football, most notably when he scored a hat trick against Gibraltar’s Under-21s team on international duty in October.
Lawrence primarily plays off the left wing, most commonly drifting inside onto his right foot while attacking, as shown by his appearances at the u21 Euros.
His natural flair paired with his ball striking ability makes him a good fit into Luton’s team, as his directness can help an attack that is faltering in League One this season, with Luton being 18th in the league for big chances this season.
The signing of Emilio Lawrence could potentially shake up Luton’s side, as the squad already has multiple options to play left winger.
This means his signing could leave the door open for some people to leave the club.
One of these players who could look for a move away is Irish winger Millenic Alli, as he has struggled for playing time since Jack Wilshere’s appointment In October.
Furthermore, the signing of Lawrence will undoubtedly push him further down the pecking order at Kenilworth Road.
Another player who could leave the Hatters this January is recent addition Ethon Archer, who recently joined the squad following the expiration of his loan deal from Cheltenham Town.
As Archer is yet to make an appearance for Luton, he could potentially go out on loan again for playing time this season.
Wilshere may also want him to get experience at a higher level than Cheltenham for the second half of the season, as his playing time for the Hatters may be limited due to Lawrences arrival.
Lawrence gives Wilshere a different option from the left hand side when compared to players such as Cohen Bramall, who prefers to attack down the line more.
Meanwhile, as Lawrence prefers to cut inside while attacking, this gives Wilshere freedom to tweak the attack when necessary.
Furthermore, it may lead to Bramall moving back to left back, a position he is already familiar with, playing most of his senior career there.
With Kal Naismith’s recent injury woes, Joe Johnson is the only recognised left back in the Hatters squad.
Therefore being able to play Bramall there with Lawrence ahead of him in attack could be a smart move by Wilshere to add more attacking threat into the team, whilst also being able to rotate the team effectively.
Overall, Lawrence is a smart addition to the Hatters squad, as the loan won’t take up any registration spots for the league whilst giving quality depth to a Luton squad who need additions this January as they look to bounce back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
