Exclusive: Preston open talks to sign Luton Town’s Jack Walton
Preston North End have opened talks to sign Luton Town goalkeeper Jack Walton, sources have told Football Insider.
The Championship club are working on a deal to land the 27-year-old on a permanent deal after Luton‘s relegation to League One last season, just a year after falling out of the Premier League.
Walton, who has spent the last two seasons in a row on loan at Dundee United, has a contract at Kenilworth Road that runs until the summer of 2026.
He signed from Barnsley two years ago.
Walton is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Hatters since his move from Oakwell in 2023, but has been an ever-present for Dundee United with 85 appearances made across the last two seasons.
Preston confirmed the signing of Daniel Iversen after Football Insider first revealed that a deal had been agreed with the Leicester keeper on 16 May, and Walton would add further to their options at Deepdale.
Luton losses continue after relegation nightmare
The Hatters joined an exclusive club last season of teams to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and Championship, becoming the first team to do so since Sunderland in 2017 and 2018.
Former Luton boss Nathan Jones has been the beneficiary of this, signing Belgium international keeper Thomas Kaminski for Charlton Athletic and leaving Matt Bloomfield’s side with a gap between the sticks.
Walton’s potential departure to Preston would add to this dearth of options at Kenilworth Road, although Tottenham youngster Josh Keeley was signed for an undisclosed fee on 19 July.
Preston push to avoid repeating Luton mistakes
Luton’s relegation to League One came on the final day as Hull City just beat them to survival via goal difference, but Paul Heckingbottom‘s Preston only finished one point and one place above the pair.
Preston ended the campaign in disastrous form and won just one of their last 15 matches, and have also lost a keeper since the end of the season after Freddie Woodman made a surprise move to Liverpool.
Woodman had previously been a target for Manchester United, and if Walton does complete a move to Deepdale this summer, he’ll hope to put both himself and Preston on a similarly upward trajectory.