The Scotland under-21 international is set to link up with a former Arsenal and England star
Scotland youth international Emilio Lawrence will be given his first taste of senior football after Luton Town agreed a loan deal with Manchester City for the talented youngster.
According to a report from Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a move to the EFL League One side, with Hatters’ head coach Jack Wilshire said to have played an instrumental role in the deal as he looks to revamp his squad for a promotion push in the second half of the campaign.
Described as a ‘rough diamond’, the Manchester-born attacker hit the headlines in October when he scored four goals in Scotland under-21s’ record-breaking 12-0 European Championships qualifying win over Gibraltar, and was promoted to Pep Guardiola’s first-team set-up before their Champions League clash with Monaco in October following a string of impressive displays for the Cityzens’ academy squads.
The young starlet began his career with Everton, making his under-18s Premier League debut for the Toffees in March 2021 at the age of just 15 before being snapped up by Manchester City a little over a year later, where he been a standout performer across numerous age groups, including his breakthrough year in the Premier League 2 last season, where bagged seven goals and seven assists in 18 matches.
Earlier this season, he made three appearances for Manchester City under-21s in the EFL Trophy, setting up two goals in the 5-1 thrashing of Oldham Athletic in August, but has yet to make his senior bow for The Sky Blues, leading to 34-cap former England and Arsenal midfielder Wilshere to make a move for the starlet.
Luton, who suffered their second consecutive relegation from the EFL Championship last season, have enjoyed a real turnaround in form since the appointment of 34-year-old Wilshere as head coach in October. Having picked up 29 points from his first 17 games in charge, the Kenilworth Road side have risen to eighth in the table, and are just four points away from the EFL League One playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Lawrence’s under-21 teammate, and Celtic right-back, Colby Donovan, has been linked with a surprise move to Scottish Premiership rivals Dundee, according to a report from the Scottish Express. The 19-year-old defender made his senior debut earlier this season at Parkhead, and has gone on to become a regular in the Celtic matchday squad, making a total of nine league appearances.
A reported target for head coach Steven Pressley in the summer, the Dundee boss is reported to be eyeing up a potential loan switch for Donovan this month, with the Dens Park outfit hopeful they can lure him to the club with the promise of regular spot in their starting XI.