Breaking:Luton Town Close to Sign in Brentford FC defender in a blockbuster deal.
Shandon Baptiste, who spent four years with the Bees, is looking for a new team.
The center midfielder joined Brentford in January 2020 after graduating from Oxford United’s development program and making 43 appearances for the U’s.
After signing as a highly-rated 21-year-old from Oxford, Baptiste had an injury-plagued four years at Brentford Community Stadium. He was unable to secure a starting spot in the Championship or Premier League and, quite frankly, fell short of expectations.
Now that his contract is about to expire on June 30, he will undoubtedly receive several offers from second-tier teams in an attempt to jumpstart his faltering career. He is only 26 years old.
Luton Town is one team that ought to be considering hiring him; Rob Edwards’ team is expected to lose a number of important midfield players, and Baptiste would be the ideal substitute to strengthen their lineup as they attempt to return to the Premier League as soon as possible.
Shandon Baptiste’s tenure at Brentford was uneventful.
After playing for Oxford for two years, Baptiste gained recognition as one of the league’s most promising young players. However, he was limited to just 26 league matches for the U’s due to a series of chronic injuries.
He was primarily used off the bench in his debut season, appearing in 12 league games, but was not named in the squad as Frank’s team lost to Fulham in the Championship play-off final. Thomas Frank described him as ‘great one-on-one…energetic, great on the ball and works very hard (at) pressing’ upon arrival.
Sadly, his injury problems with the Bees didn’t end there. In September 2020, he sustained a significant knee injury that would keep him out of action for the remainder of the 2020–21 season despite only playing four games. Brentford advanced through the play-offs without him.
Baptiste debuted in the top division against Aston Villa in August 2021. He scored his first goal for the team in a 2-2 draw away at Leeds in December. Despite this, Baptiste only started nine Premier League games for the entire season because Frank mostly utilized him as a midfield rotation option.
In 2022–2023, he was in and out of the squad once more. During that season, he made 24 appearances across all competitions, including five starts, as the Bees solidified their Premier League status.
His contribution to the team has decreased even further this past season, as he only made 12 appearances and played 298 minutes across all competitions. As a result, the club allowed him to depart in quest of regular first-team football when his contract expired this summer.
| Shandon Baptiste Brentford career statistics | |
|---|---|
| Games | 78 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Stats according to transfermarkt | |
Luton need new midfield options
After being demoted to the Championship, the Hatters will need to work hard over the summer to hang onto some of the players who helped them get so close to playing in the Premier League the previous year.
Football Insider reports that Ross Barkley, an influential midfield player, has reached an agreement with his former club, Aston Villa, for a two-year contract. Barkley’s condition allows him to go for free if Luton are relegated, so there isn’t a transfer fee.
Despite making an impression when healthy for Luton, holding midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is also scheduled to return to parent club Arsenal. As a result, Rob Edwards’ team will enter the upcoming season with just Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu, Marvelous Nakamba, and Jordan Clark under contract.
Baptiste would be a wise addition to the Hatters midfield if he can stay healthy, since Edwards’ aggressive, high-pressing style of play perfectly fits his own style of play.
Given what he may bring to their squad, it would also be a rather inexpensive option for them to get him on a free transfer, considering that he reportedly made £15,000 per week at Brentford, according to Capology estimations.
The 26-year-old could choose to remain in London, where he has probably made his home since joining Brentford in 2020. However, Luton would likely face competition from other teams as word of Baptiste’s availability “sure to alert a number of clubs,” as Brentford turned down several bids for him in January. This is according to TeamTalk.
However, Luton considers that the location, the Hatters’ need for reinforcements, and even Baptiste’s need to find a new place to start his career all mesh well together.
