Luton Town Face Competition For Top Flight Forward
Relegated Championship side Luton Town face League One competition in the battle to sign Ross County forward Ronan Hale on a permanent contract this summer.
The 26-year-old is currently involved in another relegation-battle in the Scottish Premiership but his individual performances have been the subject of transfer interest ahead of the summer.
The Hatters will return to League One ahead of the 2025/26 season after being relegated on the final day of the season and are in a position where they need to recruit in several areas to try and clinch an immediate return to the Championship.
Luton eye Hale raid
As reported by journalist Pete O’Rourke, Luton Town are one of three clubs currently interested in signing Ross County’s Ronan Hale on a permanent deal.
Hale has had a brilliant campaign despite Ross County’s current woes, and has attracted the interest of the Hatters though they aren’t alone in the race to land his signature.
That is because Ryan Lowe’s Wigan Athletic have also taken an interest in his services, along with Reading who can now sign players as a result of their take-over success earlier this week.
The former Birmingham City youngster is currently under-contract with Ross County until June 2027, meaning a fee will be required to land the forward this summer.
How has he fared this season?
Hale joined the Scottish Premiership side last summer on a three-year contract as a result of a very successful campaign with Cliftonville FC in the NIFL Premiership, where he contributed to 19 goals in 25 appearances.
However, the forward hasn’t struggled to make the transition into the SPFL as he has currently scored 11 goals in 35 league appearances for Ross County.
A further four goals have also been scored by Hale in cup competitions for the Scottish side, bringing his total up to 15 for the 2024/25 campaign.
Which side is most likely to win the race?
All three interested parties present a different reasoning behind why they’d be a good fit for the forward.
Luton Town have suffered back-to-back relegations and are in dire need of attacking reinforcements. This is before the likes of Carlton Morris could leave the club, which creates an even-stronger argument for the move.
Ryan Lowe is fresh in the dugout at Wigan Athletic and is likely to try and put his stamp on the side as he is likely aiming for a top six finish this season.
Meanwhile, Reading are under new ownership and can now look ahead to a significantly brighter future and that excitement could be enough alone to tempt goal-scorers like Hale to join the club and help them push closer to the Championship.
