Edwards reveals how data has a big role to play as Luton cast their net wider in the hunt for new signings

Luton boss Rob Edwards has revealed that data will play a big role in the Hatters’ attempts to strengthen their squad when dipping into the foreign market as the club continue to look at casting their net far and wide in the hunt for new signings.

Town have been heavily linked with bringing in Japanese international Daichi Hashioka from Belgian Jupiler Pro League side Sint-Truiden, reports stating that the 24-year-old is undergoing a medical at Kenilworth Road. Admitting he was a player that the club had an interest in, when asked just how Luton are getting their information on targets not currently plying their trade in England, Edwards said: “We are casting the net out further, a lot of recruitment now will be done by data first.

"People will get flagged up and then you’ve got to get our eyes on them. So they might get flagged up by data, then video, then you want to get out and see them live as well. All of that will happen for us to be able to recruit someone.

"If we’re able to cast the net out a bit further, sometimes you can get a couple of gems. You might be able to get a bit more value for money rather than in this country at times. It’s not something I suppose we’re going to do all of the time, but certainly now, where we’re going as a football club we want to be casting our net a bit further.”

Even if they have all the data, Edwards highlighted the importance of a potential new signing being viewed in the flesh by either himself or someone from the recruitment arm of his staff before a decision is reached. He continued: “Yes (they’ll be watched), if possible (I’ll watch them), yes. I think it's important, but I’ve got a lot of trust in our recruitment team.

"I think they’re better at that than me. I trust people to do their job well and I think they’ve shown over a number of years how good they are with their recruitment. We’re really savvy with our forward thinking, we’re clever with our recruitment and that’s why the club has progressed so much over the last few years. They know what they’re doing a lot more than I do, but we have got a joined up way of thinking.”

If Edwards has a hunch about a certain transfer target then he can always flag up the possible new addition to his staff as well, saying: “Yes, it can work both ways, of course it can, there’s no doubt about that. I think that’s the best way, we need to be on the same page and we are, we are.”

With Luton’s recruitment experts doing a superb job in the summer to give the Hatters a competitive squad for the Premier League this term, signing players like Ross Barkley, Chiedozie Ogbene, Teden Mengi and Thomas Kaminski, to name just four, they haven’t got too much wrong when it comes to incomings.

Edwards was quick to praise their efforts too, adding: “I always try to give credit where it’s due, you can’t be a good manager or a good coach without good players. Our recruitment team have been able to bring us good players, so it allows us to progress and get promoted and compete well in the Premier League.

"That’s down to the hard work of Mick (Harford, chief of recruitment) and Chappie (Phil Chapple, head of scouting operations), Jay Socik (head of recruitment analysis), to all the guys, because they put a lot of time and effort into it. January's hard, I think it's shown across the board how difficult it is to recruit at this time of the season. But I’m really lucky, we’ve got really good people working with us for that side of it.”