Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Luton Town midfielder Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu, according to the Nottingham Post.
Both Forest and QPR have been linked with moves for the player, but could now be set to miss out this summer. Luton boss Nathan Jones has said that no player will leave unless the move will benefit the club, which means Ruddock-Mpanzu could be set to stay.
Jones said: “Nobody will leave this football club unless it’s beneficial for the collective of Luton Town Football Club.”
[interaction id=”594cf72ef03c53313d6ee2f6″]Ruddock-Mpanzu began his career with Boreham Wood and went on to make 13 appearances for the first team. In December 2011, he signed a professional contract with West Ham United after a successful trial. However, he made only one first-team appearance before leaving to join Luton Town, initially on loan, and then signing a permanent deal in January 2014.
The midfielder has since made 118 appearances for Luton, scoring seven goals along the way. He was also part of the team that won the Conference title and took Luton back to League Two. Ruddock-Mpanzu made 52 appearances in all competitions last season and has solidified his place as a key player for the club.
Despite playing mostly in midfield, Ruddock-Mpanzu is versatile and can also play in defence. His manager said: “He can play as a centre half, but I think defensive midfielder is his best position. I’ve even tried him in a number 10 position, he’s so versatile.”
Despite the blow, there is still a chance that Ruddock-Mpanzu could move to the Championship this season. Jones said: “For everyone that will leave the club now – if anyone is to leave the club now – there are things already in place to replace them.
“Nobody will leave the club that we don’t want to leave, and that we’re not prepared to lose, so nobody will go and surprise us. Everyone we have anticipated that will leave this football club, we already have made contingency plans for.”
Therefore, if Luton already have a replacement in mind, they might be more willing to let Ruddock-Mpanzu go this summer.
