D.C. United target Elijah Adebayo advised against MLS move by Luton Town boss
By Chris Smith
Luton Town boss Nathan Jones has confirmed the club has received an 'inquiry' from D.C. United about Elijah Adebayo, but has advised the striker against the move.
The Black and Red, who recently appointed Wayne Rooney as their new head coach, have been linked with Adebayo as they seek to add more firepower and climb off the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Adebayo was one of the stars last season as Luton Town secured a shock promotion playoff berth in the EFL Championship, with the 24-year-old registering 16 goals and four assists in 41 league appearances (38 starts).
Watch the story of Charlotte FC's journey to MLS in 90min's The Making of Charlotte FC, presented by DoorDash, on 90min channels now. Subscribe to our new US YouTube channel.
Hatters boss Jones has confirmed D.C. United have been in contact regarding Adebayo, but has advised the striker to focus on earning a move to the Premier League above all else.
“There’s been an inquiry, but it’s not the time. Elijah’s next step really should be looking at the Premier League," said Jones.
“With the greatest of respect to any other league in the world, that’s what he should be looking at. So, unless we get a substantial Premier League offer, Elijah will continue to play for Luton Town.”
D.C. United are one of the lowest-scoring teams in MLS this season with just 26 goals from 20 games. However, Greek forward Taxiarchis Fountas has made a strong start to his career at Audi Field, netting 10 times in just 980 MLS minutes, while last season's Golden Boot runner-up Ola Kamara has scored seven goals in 18 games (10 starts).
Fountas and Kamara are two of just three D.C. United players - alongside Michael Estrada (4) - to score more than a single goal in MLS play this season.