We are excited to announce the signing of striker Carlton Morris from Barnsley for an undisclosed fee.
The 26-year-old has completed his permanent transfer from the Yorkshire club after finalising his medical before flying out to the Hatters’ Slovenian training camp.
Cambridge-born Morris began his career at Norwich City and was part of the Canaries’ FA Youth Cup winning side of 2013 alongside former Hatters midfielder Cameron McGeehan.
He made one senior appearance for Norwich, but gained valuable experience during several loan spells at Oxford United, York City, Hamilton Academical, Rotherham, Shrewsbury and Milton Keynes.
It was from a season-long loan at the latter that he was recalled in January 2021 to make his first permanent transfer, signing for Barnsley.
Morris netted seven times in just seven starts as the Tykes burst into the Championship play-offs in the second half of that 2020-21 campaign, eventually losing at the semi-final stage to Swansea.
He missed most of the first three-and-a-half months of last term through injury, but returned in mid-November to net another nine goals and he departs Oakwell with an impressive record of 16 from 33 starts and 22 substitute appearances.
The former England Under-19 international was delighted to complete his move to Bedfordshire, saying: “I’m really excited to get started. I have played at Kenilworth Road a few times and it is never an easy place to go.
“I am happy to be on this side of it now because I want to be at a place where I know I’m confident with the squad that the gaffer is building. This is going to be a place where no Championship club wants to come next season.”
And after suffering relegation to League One with Barnsley last season, he added: “I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity to come back to the Championship. I really want to challenge myself, I don’t just want to coast through my career. Football is a short game and I have to put myself to the test.
“I’m incredibly excited for the season ahead. I think Luton fans and us as a team will be really excited at the prospect of what the season can bring.”
Manager Nathan Jones added: “This is a statement signing and we are excited by it. We wanted to add real quality to what we already had in the squad, and Carlton does that.
“We identified him a long time ago and he had a really good game when he played against us, which rubberstamped that we wanted him.
“No-one has seen the best of Carlton Morris yet, and we believe we can get the best out of him. He’ll add to the pace and power that we have.
“He’s got good pedigree and experience for a 26-year-old, but he can still develop. He’ll give us great options up front, and with what we have now, we believe we have as good a strike force as any in the division.
“Everyone at the club has worked tirelessly and we are delighted that we have beaten off several others to get him, because we had real competition from other Championship clubs.
“I thank Gary and the board for getting this through because it shows the ambition that we have. We don’t want to rest on last season. We want to be better.”
Welcome to Kenilworth Road, Carlton!
