The final piece to Nathan Jones' jigsaw - A defender

The new Championship campaign kicks off next week, with Luton Town set to be ambitious once more following an excellent 2021/22 season. Adding seven players to the squad already, Nathan Jones will be looking to polish off his squad as he prepares for the visit of Birmingham City on the opening day.

Speaking to Luton Today, following the 2-1 victory over Northampton Town on Saturday, Jones has stated that he is still seeking a defender to add to the squad. The Hatters are yet to find a Kal Naismith replacement after the Scotsman's move to Bristol City early on in the window.

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out, especially when considering the shortage of quality, left-footed central defenders that would be within budget.

From an initial scan of the market, and without looking deep into the data, Yoann Barbet and Kell Watts stand out as options that can be considered, with both players being comfortable and composed when in possession and carrying the ball forward.

However, finding a player who can make a similar immediate impact could prove to be an impossible task, within our budget at least, meaning that the Hatters could go down a more youthful route, with the intentions of gradually bringing them into the first-team environment.

There is also no guarantee that this defender Jones wants to bring in will be a left-footed, progressive type of defender. Reece Burke improved as a ball carrier last time out, meaning that the 25-year-old could be tasked with more ball-carrying responsibilities next season and could emerge as an immediate answer for the seeming progressive void.

It is also unknown at this stage whether the club have much of a budget to play with following the productive summer the Hatters have had already. However, it was widely reported that Luton lodged a bid for Jack Rudoni after the additions of Carlton Morris, Cauley Woodrow and Alfie Doughty, suggesting that they might not be limited to just the free market.