The manager of Luton, Rob Edwards, has refuted rumours that the Hatters are attempting to acquire Oscar Zambrano, a promising midfield player from Ecuador, during the current January transfer window.
The 19-year-old has played in the Copa Sudamericana and has been in impressive form for his Ligapro Serie A Segunda side LDU Quito this season. He was scheduled to play for his country’s U23 squad later this month, but he withdrew, stoking rumours of a move to England.
Since October of last year, Town has been linked to the player. Head scout Phil Chapple travelled to Argentina to watch the teenager play, along with several other gifted youth players. In December, Edwards said he believed the Ecuadorian club had been using the Hatters to try and “drum up” some interest in the midfielder.
Reports reappeared again this week, with some outlets saying Luton had made another offer. At the time, LDU Quito director Esteban Paz had informed South American outlet Olé that several teams were interested in Zambrano, mentioning the Hatters as one of them. However, they also said that Town was in danger of losing out to rivals in the Premier League, such as AFC Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, and even Manchester United. The Red Devils were keen to move on from their disappointment at losing out on fellow countryman Moises Caicedo, who eventually cost Chelsea £115 million.
But since teams have until February 1st to sign players, Edwards responded, “No, there hasn’t been, no,” when asked if an offer had been made. We’ve discussed this topic extensively and have been connected to him, so it surprises me that it keeps coming up. We know he’s a pretty excellent young player, so it’s not something I’m pushing from my end, but I don’t believe there’s too much in it.
