Luton Town are facing a hugely important summer transfer window where Nathan Jones will need to be backed in the market to make the right additions to the squad.

The Hatters have already seen the long-term futures of a couple of players be resolved within their retained list, with James Collins having already confirmed his transfer to Cardiff City. While the Hatters have also lost loan players like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and also Tom Ince.

Those kinds of players will need to be replaced in the transfer window and Luton will also have other areas of their squad that they could be keen to strengthen should they get the chance to do so. The Hatters as well have already confirmed the arrival of forward Fred Onyedinma from Wycombe Wanderers in what was a positive start for their summer business.

Here, we take a look at nine free-agents that Luton might want to have on their transfer window to continue their summer business on a positive course…

One are that Luton have to improve this window in upfront, with James Collins having left the club and made the move to Cardiff City.

That means that the Hatters have lost ten goals from their side and also a striker they knew they could depend on to lead the line for them and be a key threat to opponents in their penalty areas.

Millwall forward Matt Smith is someone that should be on their radar in terms of a potential replacement for Collins. The forward is set to be a free-agent, although he is still in talks with the Lions regarding the possibility of a new deal but that new contract would be on reduced terms according to reports.

Smith was not a regular starter for the Lions this season in the Championship, but he still weighed in with three goals and two assists from his 29 league appearances. He is a player that could be the perfect kind of foil to someone like Elijah Adebayo upfront and his experience might prove to be invaluable to Luton if they were to sign him this summer.

The second option that Luton could consider to add to their strikers this summer in terms of potential free-agents is Charlton Athletic’s Chuks Aneke.

It has been confirmed by the League One side that they are in talks with him over a contract extension but if a deal is not agreed he will be available on a free.

Aneke is a player that Sheffield Wednesday have already been linked with a potential move for, and after firing in 15 goals in 38 League One matches this term you can see why he would be attracting their interest. However, the Hatters will be a division higher than the Owls next term so would have that advantage if they chose to rival them for his signature.

The 27-year-old is entering his prime years now and his goal-scoring exploits in League One might suggest that he is ready to make the step up to the Championship. Aneke is a forward that will score goals if he gets the right levels of service. That might make him an ideal potential option to come in and replace the goals lost by Collins’ departure.

Another area of the squad that Luton are going to need to strengthen in the summer transfer window is in midfield. They have lost the highly influential presence of Dewsbury-Hall with him returning to Leicester City and need someone with technical ability to come in and replace him in the middle of the park for next term.

Walsh is a player that surely has to be on their radar with regards to being a potential addition that could improve their midfield options. The midfielder has been released by Bristol City after an injury-hit season meant he was unable to convince the Robins to hand him a new contact. However, he is a player with a lot of potential and ability as he showed on loan with Coventry City in 2019/20.

The 23-year-old managed to register three goals and provide five assists in 26 League One games during that promising loan spell with the Sky Blues in 2019/20. That demonstrates he has the ability to make things happen going forwards from the middle of the park. His quality in possession could make a major asset for anyone that brings him in this summer.

The midfielder is reportedly on the radar of Swansea City and they are favourites for his signature at the moment, but it is thought if they go up in the play-off final then they will move on to other targets. Luton might be able to take advantage of that situation.

Someone else who could be a potential option to come into Luton’s side and add more goals and assists from either the midfield area, or the attacking third, is former Huddersfield Town attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard.

The 28-year-old is a free-agent with his exit from Huddersfield having been confirmed and he will be needing to find a new club where he can get back to his best form after a couple of difficult seasons with the Terriers.

Pritchard has already reportedly been on the radar of the likes of Derby County and Bristol City. However, he recently revealed he does not yet know where he will be heading.

Pritchard is someone that has plenty of ability that could still be unlocked and needs a manager to show some belief in him after a couple of difficult years.

Jones might well be the right kind of manager to get the best out of him again and he would surely have a prominent role to play with the Hatters’ starting line-up if he were to be signed.

The attacking midfielder would be able to operate in that number ten role in a diamond formation that Jones has favoured in the past, and also has the flexibility of being able to do other jobs in the final third of the field.

Another option that Luton could consider to further boost the creativity within their squad is the potential addition of Jamie Paterson. He has been another one of the players to have been let go by Bristol City at the end of the campaign.

It has already been reported that the attacker is on the radars of the likes of Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Stoke City and Millwall this summer.

There is a reason why there are those Championship clubs taking a look at Paterson and that is because he offers experience and has proven in the past that he can be a decent asset in the English second tier.

The 29-year-old in no fewer than eight goals per season in the Championship for the Robins in his first four campaigns with the club. However, this term his numbers dropped off slightly to three goals and two assists, but he did make just 20 appearances in the English second tier.

Paterson needs a fresh start and to go somewhere he can feel he has the confidence of the manager and his team-mates once again. Under the right sort of conditions, you could see the 29-year-old adding quality to the attacking options that Jones possesses already at Kenilworth Road.

In terms of their options at the heart of their defence, Luton have been massively boosted by the confirmation that defender Sonny Bradley has decided to sign a new deal to remain with the Hatters. That makes the centre-back area less of a priority this summer than it might have been.

However, Jones will still want to look at add to his options in that area of the field and the Hatters have already been linked with a potential move for Jack Whatmough. The defender is set to be out of contract at Portsmouth this summer, but he has been offered a new deal by the League One club.

Whatmough, though has yet to agree to that new contract and it has been reported that the Hatters are identifying the centre-back as a possible replacement for Matty Pearson who has already left the club to join Huddersfield Town.

The defender would potentially be a very good addition to the squad and he has shown his quality to in the English third tier with Pompey this term.

The 24-year-old still has plenty of potential to be developed further and he looks like he is ready for that next step up to the Championship. This could be a very promising move if the Hatters did pull it off.

One other potentially soon to be free-agent that Luton have already been credited with an interest is Luke O’Nien. The versatile 26-year-old is set to see his current deal with Sunderland expire in the summer and unless than can agree a new contract with him he will be leaving the Stadium of Light.

According to the latest report from Football Insider, Luton alongside the likes of Preston, Millwall and Middlesbrough are all looking to potentially bring in O’Nien this summer.

That comes with it being believed the 26-year-old is open to talks with other clubs over a potential route out of Sunderland and into the Championship.

This is a signing that would be perfect for Luton. O’Nien has the quality to play in numerous positions and has played at right-back, centre-back and on the wing during his time at the Stadium of Light.

He is a selfless player that will give his all for the side whatever position he is asked to play in. That means he would swiftly win over the hearts of Luton supporters as he has with Sunderland.

O’Nien is arguably the player within Sunderland’s squad that deserves to move up to the Championship more than any other. It would be a very smart piece of business if the Hatters can give him that chance to perform in the English second tier.

If Luton are looking at O’Nien as a potential option to come into Kenilworth and improve their right-back options, then there could be another strong alternative option here in potentially soon-to-be available defender Matt Olosunde.

Olosunde’s current deal with Rotherham United is set to expire in the summer, although the Millers have opened negotiations with him over the prospect of new contract.

The defender, who is comfortable playing as both a conventional right-back and as a right-wing-back, should not be short of potential suitors this summer and he perhaps has the quality to be staying in the Championship.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a decent enough season with the Millers, despite not being able to keep them in the English second tier. He managed to provide three assists in his 32 Championship appearances to underline the attacking threat he can be down the right-hand side.

Sometimes, he can be guilty of switching off defensively but he is still a player that is developing his game and this is something that could be ironed out on the training ground. He is certainly an option worth considering for the Hatters if they can not get O’Nien.

The final option that Luton might want to consider is the experienced Jack Hunt. The right-back is now available on a free transfer having been one of the players let go by Bristol City when they announced their retained list.

Hunt was a good servant for the Robins and he has been a consistent performer for them during his three years at Ashton Gate. This term, the right-back managed to be involved in four goals in his 41 league appearances and that shows that he can carry a threat going forwards on the overlap.

The 30-year-old is still in his prime and he could be a very good signing for a host of Championship clubs this summer. He should still have at least another solid two or three seasons left in him and that means that he has to be a name that the Hatters should at least consider this summer.