Aston Villa are reportedly lining up a shock move for Luton Town manager Nathan Jones.
Nathan Jones celebrates
According to The Mirror, Aston Villa are plotting a move for Luton Town manager Nathan Jones – but the man himself told Luton Today that he’s committed to the Hatters.
Villa are looking for a new manager yet again, as Roberto Di Matteo lost his job at Villa Park on Monday morning following Saturday’s dismal 2-0 defeat away at Preston North End.
Nathan Jones alongside Chris Hughton at Brighton
Owner Tony Xia must now get this appointment right having failed miserably with Di Matteo, and a host of names are being linked with moves to replace the Italian boss.
Now though, The Mirror report that Villa are lining up a shock swoop for Luton Town manager Nathan Jones, who guided the Hatters to a stunning 3-1 EFL Cup win over Aston Villa almost two months ago.
Jones, 43, currently has Luton in fourth place in League Two, just one point behind the automatic promotion spots as his stock continues to rise at Kenilworth Road.
Luton Town’s manager Nathan Jones celebrates
As a player, Jones was best known during spells with Brighton and Hove Albion and Yeovil Town, and after making his way up through the coaching ranks at Brighton, Jones moved on to become Luton boss in January of this year.
Now, the Welshman appears to have caught the eye of Villa, who are believed to have Jones on their list of candidates despite his inexperience – and Jones himself told Luton Today that he is committed to the Hatters.
“If that speculation is true, then I’m very, very flattered, I really am,” said Jones. “But this is a great job for me here and I’ve come here because there’s longevity in this job and I want to build something. I don’t want a quick fix to move and to jump ship, I want to build something at this football club because it’s a wonderful football club.
“I love my job, I love the people I work with, the board have been unbelievable, my chief exec is superb, and I’m happy here. “So I’m very, very flattered to be linked with anything, I’ve been linked with stuff before I came here, but I have a pathway that I want and I’m very happy here at the minute. “I’m Luton manager and I’m a proud Luton manager.”
Former Hull manager Steve Bruce
Intriguingly, it’s suggested that owner Xia has looked for alternatives to frontrunner Steve Bruce, as he’s concerned that Bruce’s ties to rivals Birmingham City will only aggravate fans even more.
Bruce not only managed the Blues for almost six years, but also played for Birmingham towards the end of his career, and Xia is believed to have doubts about him being the right man for the job considering how unhappy supporters are right now.
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