Luton boss keen on second spell for City youngster

Jack Wilshere has left the door ajar for Emilio Lawrence to return to Kenilworth Road next season, admitting there's a chance the Manchester City winger could be back at Luton on loan.

The 20-year-old joined the Hatters in January alongside Kasey Palmer, part of Wilshere's first batch of signings as Luton manager. Both made a decent impression over the second half of the campaign, though Lawrence's start was far from straightforward.

He spent time out of the starting XI while finding his feet in the Championship, but grew into the season as Wilshere's faith in him increased. That trajectory has left the Luton boss wanting more.

Speaking to The Lutonian, Wilshere made his feelings clear.

“Yeah, there is a chance. Ultimately, that would be down to him and Man City. I think he done really well. Sometimes then, players and clubs, the next step is obviously to go up a league.”

“However, I made my opinion clear to Emilio that that's not always necessarily the best step, and spending some more time with us, he knows us, we know him, can actually prepare him higher than he thinks he can.”

Wilshere argued the case for continuity, pointing to how much Lawrence developed in a short time.

“He grew so much, and I think when you have a player who develops that much, in a small amount of time, you want to get him back because you feel like you can make him better.”

The Luton manager also reflected on Lawrence's loan as a model for how these moves should work.

“I think that is a real benefit for a young player, going out on loan. Because, let's not forget, when he first came in, he played four games, and he was out the squad for four games. So, he's almost been through that initial period here.”

Any decision on a second loan won't be Wilshere's alone. It'll come down to Lawrence, his representatives, and City's hierarchy — with Hugo Viana conducting a full squad assessment ahead of Enzo Maresca's first season in charge.

Wilshere has already made his pitch directly to the player. Whether that's enough to keep Lawrence at Kenilworth Road rather than pushing him up a level remains to be seen as the summer window rolls on.