Barnet's winger agrees to join the Hatters
The Hatters have made their second signing of the January transfer window with Maltese international winger Luke Gambin making the move from Sky Bet League Two rivals Barnet for an undisclosed fee.
The 23-year-old left-sider has agreed a two-and-a-half year contract to keep him at Kenilworth Road until the end of the 2018-19 season, with the club having an option to extend it for a further year.
Gambin joined the Bees as an apprentice in 2009 when they were still based at Underhill, but has emerged as one of their main players since their move to the Hive.
Scouts were flocking to watch him when Dutch legend Edgar Davids put him in the team, then he helped them win the 2014-15 Conference title under Martin Allen before starring as they have established themselves back in League Two over the past 18 months.
“Luke is someone we’ve been monitoring for a long period of time so when the opportunity came for us to have him, we grabbed it with both hands,” said manager Nathan Jones.
“He ticks every box for us in terms of his age, his ability, what he brings to us – he’s what we’re about. He’s left footed, which gives us good balance. We’ve been looking for a left-footer for a while.
“Plus he’s hungry and he wants to play for Luton, which is the main thing. He’ll add to our squad, he’ll increase competition and he’ll give us a little bit of guile.”
Gambin has gained six caps for Malta since making his full international debut last May, and would have played against England at Wembley recently if he hadn’t been suspended.
“It’s brilliant in terms of the experience Luke’s been getting in international football, plus he’s been a standout performer for Barnet in this league, so we know what we’re getting from him,” added Jones.
“It’s a good fit because he’s already got great experience, but we want to improve him and he’s a good age. We want him to get better so we can all move forward.
“We’ll be looking at him as a real attacking player and he’ll give us that cleverness that you need to win games at this level. We are delighted to have secured him.”
Gambin, who has four goals to his name so far this season and 15 from 136 Barnet appearances in total, said: “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. The size of the club, the fans, the manager and the quality in the team all made the decision an easy one. I’m excited by it and can’t wait to get started.”
As his last appearance for Barnet came here on New Year’s Eve, it’s a warm welcome back to Kenilworth Road for Luke!