Trialist Stefan Bailey will not be offered a contract with Luton Town because manager Richard Money is wary of the former QPR midfielder blocking the first team chances of emerging talent Godfrey Poku.
Stefan Bailey during Luton's 1-1 pre-season draw with Cambridge City
The Hatters signed Poku along with Jonathan O’Donnell, from St Albans City last season as a development prospect, and even then his manager was saying that the teenage midfielder was closer to bursting into the first team squad than people might have thought.
The hot prospect has been impressing further in Luton’s current pre-season campaign and was given a second half run out in the 3-0 win over a Liverpool XI at Kenilworth Road, while Bailey was an unused substitute.
Poku's continued development could be the missing piece of Money’s midfield jigsaw, especially after Money hinted his summer shopping may stop after he hands a 12-month contract to Bedford Town trialist Dan Walker.
Asked if there would be any more transfer activity after Walker’s deal is sealed, the Town boss said: “I don’t think you’re ever finished, but I think the pre-season games are telling us a little bit more.
“All through pre-season we’ve felt that we might have needed another midfield player but every time Poku comes on the pitch he’s grown and grown and so maybe we don’t. Let’s see how the season goes on.
“I think that if anything happens it will be because somebody leaves. I’m not saying that we are trying to move anyone out, but things are always being thrown at us.
"Nothing is ever set in stone, but if we started the season with that group of players and they’re all fit then I don’t think we could be too uncomfortable about that.”
Money’s conclusion almost certainly ends Bailey’s chances of earning a contract at the club, though he is due to continue training with the club.
“He hasn’t done enough at the minute for us to offer him a contract,” said the manager of Bailey. “We’ve got to be mindful of the fact that if we signed him on a short-term contract until after August and we didn’t renew it after that then he couldn’t play for another team until January, which is ridiculous.
“We are maybe looking at a week to week thing with him. I think his agent might try and find him another club but until that happens he wants to carry on training and playing with us.
"He’s enjoyed his time and he feels he’s got more to offer, so we’ll see where that one goes, but to be honest we’ve got to be very careful that we don’t block people like Poku. That’s in my mind.”
Luton’s midfield has been strengthened this summer with the captures of Adam Murray from Oxford United and Andy Drury from Stevenage, while Frenchman Claude Gnakpa is yet to feature in this pre-season but will return to training tomorrow (Thursday), so Money is mindful of not overloading his squad by bringing Bailey into the mix.
He said: “ Murray looks to have come through his injury problems and is getting stronger and better. We’ve got Keane, I think Jake [Howells] could play in there [central midfield] no problem and Drury can play in there as well.
“Once Gnakpa gets fit it gives us another option so I don’t really want to block Godfrey’s path. If Stefan wants to stay, that’s fine, and we’ll carry on giving him the opportunity.”