Newly promoted Luton Town have completed the signing of winger Tahith Chong from Birmingham City. They have reportedly paid a fee of £4 million to the Championship side for the signing of the former Man United youth player.
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards said: “I first crossed paths with Chong a few years ago when he was in United’s Under-23s. I have liked him since then.”
Chong only joined Birmingham last season from United for a fee of £1.5 million after a loan spell at the club the year prior. He played 41 games for the club last season.
United had included a 25% sell-on clause in the player’s contract and are set to receive £1 million from the deal between Birmingham and Luton.
Chong was part of Eredivisie club Feyeoord’s academy before moving to United’s youth setup in 2016. He received the Young Player of the Year award at the club in 2018 before making his senior debut in 2019.
The Dutchman went on loan to Werder Bremen and Club Brugge in the 2020/2021 season but failed to showcase any of his talent in either stint. He also failed to capture anybody’s attention at United as he only managed to make 5 appearances in total for the club.
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The winger then went on loan to Birmingham in the summer of 2021 where he managed to make a name for himself and the Blues decided to sign him permanently in 2022.
The 23-year-old has showcased some of his potential in the last couple of years in the Championship but Luton have now given him an opportunity to prove himself at the highest level.
Chong becomes the first acquisition that has cost Luton a transfer fee this summer as they have signed both Chiedozie Ogbene and Mads Juel Andersen on free transfers from the Championship.
The Hatters have not signed any big names thus far in the transfer window and may find it difficult to adjust to the challenges of the Premier League if they do not upgrade some of the key areas in their squad.
Chong may prove to be a good signing but he cannot be expected to hit the ground running straightaway and may need a little time to settle in as he is still inexperienced. There will also be concerns over his fitness as he has been prone to injuries even this early in his career.
