Luton would demand a loan back deal if Justin were to leave

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones has confirmed that if highly sought after defender James Justin were to leave the club in the transfer window, then a deal would have to be negotiated to loan him back to Kenilworth Road.
Hatters defender James JustinHatters defender James Justin
Hatters defender James Justin

With the fast-approaching deadline on Wednesday evening, Justin has been linked with moves to both Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion and Championship side Leeds United recently.

Although Jones will do everything in his power to keep Justin at the club permanently, if that isn’t possible, he wants the full back to stay and play a full part in Town’s promotion push.

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The Luton chief said: “First of all, we don’t want to get rid of James but secondly, if he moves forward quicker than us, so that we can’t stand in his way, then firstly, someone has to meet the value, then, we wouldn’t want to lose him now because he’s very difficult to replace.

“So if we did do that, then a loan back would be an option, or a stipulation in the deal.

“But, firstly, he’s not for sale, and secondly if something came up that we could not turn down, then there’s no point us having a lot of money in the bank and no right back, or just one right back.

“That doesn’t work for us. So that won’t happen and that’s what some people have to understand.

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“If we do get a bid that meets our valuation of James, then there’s a decision for the board to make.

“But he won’t be going anywhere unless we get him back anyway, and that’s not to say we’re looking to get rid of him, but that would be our primary stipulation, as at this point in time, we can’t replace him.”

When asked whether he has been in contact with Justin since the news surfaced about his future, Jones added: “Of course, I speak to James on a regular basis.

“We’ve got a good relationship with his family, as we have with all our younger players because at times it’s the first port of call.

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“We have got a fantastic relationship with them, as long as he doesn’t go backwards then they trust his development with us.

“I speak to James on a regular basis, and James doesn’t need much maintenance, he’s such a humble kid, he’s Luton through and through.

“He’s a wonderful player, he’s a wonderful character, he has a wonderful attitude, but we won’t take advantage of that by being coy or being over indulgent with him in any way.

“He’s such a big part of what we do and he’s one of our own, as the fans sing.”