Gillingham have agreed to sell forward Joseph Gbode to Luton Town, with a six-figure fee stated, according to Football League World.
The Gills have invested heavily in strikers this summer with the arrivals of Seb Palmer-Houlden from Bristol City and the veteran Sam Vokes, arriving on a free transfer from Wycombe Wanderers. However, it has been the existing options at Priestfield that have been preferred by Gareth Ainsworth, with Elliot Nevitt and Josh Andrews starting their most recent game against Oldham Athletic.
Hatters Strike Deal
The abundance of forwards has handed the opportunity for the club to sell one of their promising talents in Joseph Gbode, who is heading to League One’s Luton Town for £300,000, according to a new report from Football League World. The 20-year-old emerged as a new option up front in a season of fluctuation in Kent with three permanent managers across last season, playing 39 times and scoring three goals.
Gbode looks set to be the third forward arriving at Kenilworth Road on deadline day, with Shaydon Morris already confirmed to have arrived from Aberdeen and a deal to sign Ali Al-Hamadi on loan with an obligation to buy being in its final stages. The former Maidstone United man has been a long-term target for the Bedfordshire side, having two bids rejected in early August, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke.
A medical is set to be scheduled today, and a deal must be struck by 7pm tonight before the transfer window shuts until 2026.
Writers’ View
For Gillingham, this is a good bit of business. Clubs in League Two have to make their profits through transfer sales and getting a big fee for Joseph Gbode is a step in the right direction to do just that. Should a sell-on fee be included in the deal, then the Gills will have struck a brilliant deal which could pay dividends down the line.
For Luton, it is surely an investment for the future, considering their business for forwards already in this window. Ali Al-Hamadi should slot in beside players like Millenic Alli, Jerry Yates and Lasse Nordas as part of a very strong attacking department, while Shaydon Morris will offer ability from wider areas playing at wing-back. It will be hard for Gbode to break into the team considering his record for goalscoring in League Two, but his time will come in future seasons.
