Luton Town reported to have option to sign Ethan Horvath permanently

Ethan Horvath, has been making waves across the pond in the USA due to his performances for Luton Town. Last night, it was reported by The Athletic that Luton Town holds an option to sign Horvath on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest following their promotion to the Premier League. Despite a few notable mistakes, Horvath's overall contributions have been commendable, and Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has shown unwavering support for the goalkeeper. Let's delve deeper into Horvath's journey and the potential implications of his permanent move to Luton Town.

Ethan Horvath has divided opinion amongst the fanbase, while Luton Town have an option to purchase him, Horvath has options from around Europe | Photos courtesy of Gareth Owen

In the 2022-2023 season, Ethan Horvath has showcased his goalkeeping prowess by playing an impressive 44 games for Luton Town, including playoff matches. In all fairness though options were; Matt Macey, who did not impress during his solo cameo this season and was shipped out to Portsmouth, and Harry Isted, who is largely inexperienced, even though Hatters fans were clamouring for him to be given a go, before he went out on loan to Barnsley. Regardless, Horvath was helped the team achieve a remarkable 19 clean sheets, conceding only 37 goals. Throughout the season, Horvath has made a total of 91 saves, although Luton Town posted the second lowest xG conceded in the Championship, behind Burnley. This stirs up a debate as to whether Ethan Horvath played a key role in these stellar defensive numbers, or whether it genuinely an incredible effort from the whole team defensively.

No goalkeeper is immune to the occasional error, and Horvath has had his fair share of blunders. One such incident occurred during a match against Millwall, where he allowed Zian Flemmings' shot to slip past him, despite it being directed straight at him. However, what sets Horvath apart is his ability to bounce back and maintain composure in the face of adversity. This is in addition to his two errors against WBA and in the away game of the M1 derby, where he passed the ball straight to Joao Pedro, although the game was dead and buried at that point.

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards deserves credit for his handling of Horvath's errors in the second half of the season. Despite the high-profile mistake against Millwall, Edwards refused to criticise the goalkeeper publicly. Instead, he showed faith in Horvath and highlighted the importance of collective responsibility, emphasising that mistakes are part of the game. Edwards' unwavering support has undoubtedly contributed to Horvath's growing confidence and performance on the field, which culminated in some very solid displays in the final games of the season.

Luton Town's promotion to the Premier League presents an exciting opportunity for the club to solidify its place in the top-flight of English football. Firstly, the massive influx of finances ensures that the new stadium at Power Court will be built without any debt, this is ideal for the club as they attempt to make that next step, not just in the Premier League, but in terms of attendances, in terms of salary offerings and in general, long term stability and mixing it regularly with the elite of English Football.

In terms of potential marketability and bringing in new fans from the USA, is Horvath with his international experience as the United States' Men's National Team Goalkeeper, a good move for Luton Town?

A permanent move to Luton Town would offer Horvath the chance to continue his development in a promising Premier League environment, but there are also discussions that there are also options for Horvath from elsewhere in the Europe. However, as it stands, I wouldn't mind Horvath in the squad, but not as a first choice goalkeeper, and after his experience at Nottingham Forest, there's no chance he would be looking for another supporting role in the Goalkeeper Union.