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Luton Town have had a rollercoaster of a summer so far, with peaks and troughs throughout.
The Hatters are one of the favourites for promotion to the Championship this season, as they get the League One campaign underway against AFC Wimbledon on Friday evening.
However, after losing Carlton Morris to Derby County and Thelo Aasgaard to Rangers, the Bedfordshire outfit are significantly weaker than they were back in May when Matt Bloomfield slammed his team following relegation.
Keeping hold of key players is always tough in these situations, but now Luton are about to be hit even harder with Millwall set to sign Alfie Doughty in the coming days.
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Luton Town’s promotion hopes are up in the air after Alfie Doughty development
While other crucial members of the squad have departed, Doughty’s future had remained fairly stable throughout the summer.
However, Millwall are making a move for the left-sided player, and a medical is now booked in as the Lions pursue a play-off finish in the Championship in 2025/26, as per Daniel Marsh.
For Alex Neil, this is going to be a statement signing. However, Bloomfield will be incredibly frustrated with the attacking full-back leaving just days before Luton get going in League One.
He played just 26 times in the Championship last season, with fitness issues stopping him from proving his ability in the second tier after a strong showing in the Premier League. Yet, the third tier is a division far below his level and it would have been extremely tough for the Hatters to keep hold of him.
Matt Bloomfield has to find a replacement quickly
Huddersfield Town were already a favourite for promotion, but their plans for a return to the Championship will only strengthen with Doughty leaving Luton.
Meanwhile, Stockport County have been predicted for a top two finish and their consistency under Dave Challinor in recent years will definitely be a cause for concern for Bloomfield. Therefore, he must find a replacement quickly for the ex-Charlton Athletic man.
A player of Doughty’s quality is always going to be tough to replace, particularly in League One, and it may have to be a short-term fix for now.
The 25-year-old’s versatility is what makes him truly stand out, as he can play at either left-back or in a more attacking role and those sort of players do not come about often as we close in on the start of the EFL season.