Football Season Guide

The Hatters will be hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on promotion and their target will be claiming the League Two title in 2017/18. They were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Blackpool in May and the pressure will be on manager Nathan Jones to deliver this time around with the third highest average attendance in the division and one of the highest wage bills. They were dealt a blow in the summer with influential midfielder Cameron McGeehan joining Barnsley for an undisclosed fee despite still recovering from a broken leg. Striker, Jack Marriott, has also been sold to Peterborough United and they have re-invested some of that money by signing striker Elliot Lee on a free transfer from Barnsley. He is set to partner James Collins in attack, having also signed for an undisclosed fee from Crawley Town. They will face competition from striker Danny Hylton, who finished as leading goalscorer with 27 goals in all competitions last season but he is recovering from Achilles surgery over the summer and is set to miss the start of the new season. Jones relied on loan goalkeepers last season and it backfired spectacularly so it comes as no surprise to see the arrivals of three keepers in Marek Stech, James Shea and Harry Istead, all on permanent deals. The capture of midfielder Alan McCormick appears an astute addition from Brentford as he will add strength and experience in the middle of the park. The Hatters look to have a really strong squad and at the time of writing Luton Town are second favourites with the bookmakers behind Mansfield Town. Automatic promotion is clearly a realistic ambition for the Hatters but Jones will be relieved when the transfer window closes at the end of August with several clubs showing interest in teenage full-back James Justin and midfielder Pelly Ruddock. They have since lost striker Isaac Vassell to Birmingham City.