A source of real worry for Wycombe Wanderers fans recently has been the ongoing rumblings about Luton Town potentially making a move for Richard Kone, but interim boss Sam Grace has somewhat moved to ease fears of the fanbase.
The Ivorian has been in excellent form for the Chairboys this season, netting 17 goals in all competitions thus far. Naturally, this has seen some interest in the striker, particularly from Bedfordshire, where former Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield is now at the helm.
The 40-year-old signed Kone last January for his former club, watching on as the former Athletic Newham man continued to go from strength to strength and establish himself as an integral part of the Wanderers squad.
Unsurprisingly, this has seen Bloomfield keen on a reunion with the youngster at Kenilworth Road, as bids have reportedly been submitted, a month after Football League World exclusively revealed that the Hatters were keeping tabs on Kone ahead of a potential swoop.
However, the man filling in the vacancy that the new Luton boss left, Sam Grace, was adamant that the 21-year-old striker is fully committed to his current club, wanting to play in the Championship, but in the blue quarters rather than the orange of Luton.
Wycombe Wanderers: Sam Grace drops Richard Kone transfer hint amid Luton Town interest
Surprisingly, Kone was left on the bench for Wycombe’s fixture against Northampton Town on Saturday, which did raise some eyebrows.
However, it seems that it was just squad rotation coming into play, as the exciting attacker came on in the second-half and made an instant impact. Despite this, Wanderers were left frustrated as they couldn’t find the winning goal.
After the match, interim boss Grace was quizzed by The Bucks Free Press about the rumours of the Ivorian reuniting with his former manager, although stopped short of confirming that the forward would definitely not be sold before the February 3 deadline.
“He’s a committed player,” Grace said post-match.
“Dan Rice, the director of football, is in charge of all of that [transfers] and I think it’s important to say that Rich is committed as well.
“You want players that want to play for your club, and Richard wants Wycombe to get promoted.
“He wants to play for Wycombe in the Championship.
| Richard Kone – Wycombe Wanderers League Stats (Fotmob) | ||||||
| Played | Goals | Assists | xG | Shots on Target | Shot accuracy | Chances created |
| 27 | 14 | 0 | 10.51 | 29 | 51% | 19 |
| *League stats only – Accurate as of 26 Jan 2025 | ||||||
“If he was unhappy, he wouldn’t have been on the bench, so I don’t think he’s unsettled.
“The way he played when we came on doesn’t look like an unsettled player.
“He’s sharp, he wants to learn, and he’s ready to come on when asked.”
Luton Town may have to move on from Richard Kone chase as Wycombe Wanderers prepared to be stubborn
Luton are still yet to win under Bloomfield’s stewardship, as the club sinks further and further into the relegation zone. Saturday’s defeat against Millwall was a real sucker punch for the Hatters, as Alex Neil emerged triumphant at Kenilworth Road in the battle of the new managers.
The latest transfer update may well be another punch in the gut for the Bedfordshire outfit, as it’s clear they’d like to land Kone in this window. Two bids have reportedly been tabled already by the Hatters, despite Bloomfield’s refusal to speak about the Ivorian to the press.
As Grace said, Kone currently remains committed to his current club and helping them achieve promotion. The position that Luton are in right now is looking more and more dire as the weeks go on, and there is a genuine possibility that Wanderers could be playing in a higher division than Town next season.
Whilst it’s unconfirmed whether Luton’s second bid was accepted or rejected, the stance Wycombe have on Kone’s future is that he will remain at Adams Park beyond February 3.
With the Hatters in desperate need of attacking reinforcements, this latest update will come as a bit of a blow for the Championship strugglers.
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