“Will be disappointed..” – Carlton Palmer reacts as Luton edge closer to Birmingham City agreement
Luton Town continue to bolster their squad ahead of Premier League debut with Birmingham goalkeeper John Ruddy the next potential addition.
Goalkeepers have been the topic of discussion for Luton Town as of late, reported links of bringing in West Bromwich Albion’s Alex Palmer were seemingly brought to an end with the arrival of Thomas Kaminski from Blackburn Rovers.
His signing may not be the only one in the goalkeeping department, however, as according to Simon Jones as part of the Daily Mail’s ‘Transfer Confidential’, Luton have agreed a £750,000 fee for Ruddy.
The 36-year-old would be the next entry on a long list at Kenilworth Road in preparations for life in the top flight. Signings from across the EFL have been common for the Hatters, Chiedozie Ogbene on a free transfer from Rotherham and the permanent acquisition of Tahith Chong from Birmingham City adding creativity in the central midfield and wide areas, while Mads Andersen from Barnsley makes the jump from League One to lead a Premier League backline.
The return of Marvelous Nakamba, meanwhile, is a welcomed addition to provide a sense of familiarity in the heart of the midfield while the wing back slots is another position to be upgraded with Ryan Giles and Issa Kaboré operating on either side.
While first-team upgrades are imperative, fine-tuning the squad will be pivotal in making Rob Edward’s side competitive on all fronts with goalkeepers the next to receive such treatment.
Who is John Ruddy?
With a plethora of experienced EFL options added within their ranks, the signing of proven Premier League keeper John Ruddy would be a shrewd pick-up. The former Norwich shot-stopper was a mainstay in between the sticks for the Canaries, playing every single league match in their 2013/14 Premier League campaign despite relegation while playing another 27 times on their return in 2015.
His impressive performances during his time in Norfolk were rewarded with an international call-up, receiving a solitary cap in 2012.
A respectable innings at Norwich, he moved to the Midlands where he became the number one for Wolves in their promotion campaign in the 2017/18 season, before becoming deputy upon promotion due to Rui Patrício’s arrival.
In search of more game time, he made the short trip to Birmingham City where he quickly established himself as the main man last season and as one of the most consistent shot-stoppers in the second tier.
What has Carlton Palmer said about the John Ruddy to Luton move?
Carlton Palmer believes it would be a big loss for Blues and ultimately leaves question marks over Ruddy’s future playing time.
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: “Birmingham will be disappointed to lose John Ruddy, the experienced 36-year-old former England goalkeeper, but it’s also about balancing the books so although they would not want to lose him they would accept a fee for him and they have Neil Etheridge as back up.”
“The question will be would Ruddy at 36 want to go to Luton as back up and sit on the bench? As Luton have already acquired the services of Thomas Kaminski from Blackburn Rovers in an undisclosed fee, but you would expect he would be their number one goalkeeper.”
What would this mean for Ruddy’s game time at Luton?
As noted previously, Kaminski’s signing begs the question: is Ruddy likely to see much Premier League action if he was to make the move? Ultimately, it is unlikely after Luton paid an undisclosed fee for the Belgian shot-stopper after a long pursuit for a new number one and would require impressive performances behind the scenes and in cup competitions to stake his claim for the main spot.
Meanwhile, playing the deputy role is something Ruddy has done effectively before at Wolves amid their recent Premier League and European success and at 36, could be his last opportunity at the big time.
Other competition comes in the way of Matt Macey who impressed in preseason and after a promising season in League One with Portsmouth, the goalkeeping department could be relatively well-stocked for Luton going forward.
Where does this leave Birmingham City?
Naturally, losing their number one could spell trouble for John Eustace’s side.
Experienced goalkeeper Neil Etheridge could take the reigns but looking down the other pecking order look light in this department
Recent change of ownership has seen the Second City outfit make numerous signings already this window and would likely mean a new goalkeeper would be top of the agenda if Ruddy was to depart. The signings of Ethan Laird, Siriki Dembele and Lee Buchanan are all poised to be top-quality additions at St. Andrew’s as they look to push on from relegation contenders to play-off challengers and losing Ruddy could potentially be a stumbling block in those aspirations in the short term.