Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield has explained why the club signed midfielder Hakeem Odoffin, even though the 25-year-old will be out for a couple of months due to an injury.
Odoffin joined the club on a free transfer from League One rivals Rotherham United. The Barnet-born midfielder requires surgery on a non-musculoskeletal issue, which was an issue picked up on his medical, that will see him out for a number of months.
Matt Bloomfield Defends His Decision To Sign Odoffin
Speaking to Luton Today, manager Bloomfield has both explained and defended his decision to sign the midfielder:
“There was a medical issue that was flagged up in Haks’ medical. He’s not ill, it’s not a serious illness, I don’t want to start bringing an issue to something that’s not.
He’ll just need a minor procedure just to make sure he’s ready for competitive football, he’s going to be missing for a couple of months. It was part of the negotiations between the club and his agent.
“We understood the situation and were in the position to make the decision where we support the boy through this, and know that we’ve got a real good person, a real good character, a real good player on the other side? Or we walk away from it?
“We believed at that point, through the negotiation between the club and the agent, it was the right thing to keep pursuing, so we’ll support Haks through this process, and we can’t wait to have him available.
“I highly rate him as a defender, as a leader, as a character, as a boy, as an individual. His desire to join us was really strong, and again, coming off the back of where we were the last two years, we felt that players with that huge desire to come and play for us was really crucial to blend in the new group. All things aligned and we believe it’s still the right decision.”
Luton Town have had a Strong Summer
After the disappointment of back-to-back relegations, Luton will be hoping to bounce back to the second tier at the first time of asking, and with a manager who knows the league very well, they are one of the current favourites.
The Hatters have brought in eight new faces to Bloomfield Road, including the likes of Nahki Wells, Nigel Lonwijk, Josh Keeley and Kal Naismith, who are all very experienced players at this level. However, the side have also lost a fair few key players, with many players making the step back up to the Championship.
Writer’s View
Luton will be a strong contender for League One promotion this season despite having new signing Odoffin on the sidelines. It’ll be a boost when the midfielder is back in action, but Bloomfield has taken a calculated risk with the signing, one he’ll be hoping pays off.
