Luton seal the signature of Gray

Luton Town have secured the signing of Jake Gray on a two-year deal from Crystal Palace.

Gray, 20, becomes Nathan Jones’ eighth summer signing and arrives initially as a free agent, with a contingency sum included in the deal if he is sold on in the future.

Last season, the young midfielder spent six months on loan at Hartlepool United. He made 33 appearances for the Pools, starring out-wide, and scored five goals.

Jones said: “We identified our targets really early and Jake is one that we’ve been chasing since April.

“There were a number of clubs that showed an interest in him. We initially thought we might get him on loan, but when we knew that Palace were willing to do something permanent, we jumped at the chance.

“He ticks all the boxes for us and fits into the criteria for players we want to bring to Luton. We are delighted to have him.

Gray is local to the Luton area, having grown up in nearby Aylesbury, and started his career at Wycombe Wanderers.

When the Chairboys closed their academy in 2012, Palace signed Gray and he made his debut for them in a League Cup tie at Walsall in 2014.

A short spell at Cheltenham Town followed and he made his Football League debut for them in a 1-1 draw against the Hatters.

Gray said: “It feels great to be here. I’m delighted to get it done and I’m looking forward to pulling on the Luton Town shirt.

“Nathan’s got a lot of good plans for the club and he showed me how he wants me to play. It really opened my eyes to think this is the right place for me.”