Gideon Kodua returns to the third tier of English football hoping to go one step further than he did in 2024/25, and a pair of EFL experts are backing the West Ham United youngster to do just that.
Making his move into the men’s game two years after Kodua captained West Ham to FC Youth Cup glory, the versatile 20-year-old joins Luton Town on a temporary basis until the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Luton fans ‘will love’ the Hammers starlet, too. At least, this is the view of Hatters coach Matt Bloomfield. A more than educated guess, given that Bloomfield worked with Gideon Kodua during two previous loan spells at Wycombe Wanderers.
Now, Kodua would suffer play-off heartbreak with Wycombe in May. A few months after Bloomfield swapped Adams Park for Kenilworth Road, The Chairboys lost out narrowly to Charlton Athletic in a tense, two legged semi-final.
EFL experts Ali Maxwell and George Elek cannot envisage history repeating itself a year from now, however.
West Ham United loanee Gideon Kodua backed for League One glory with Luton Town
Speaking on the Not The Top 20 podcast, both Maxwell and Elek both label Luton Town the clear favourites for the League One title.
Their confidence strengthened not only by the arrivals of Kodua and co, but by the fact that only Leeds and Burnley picked up more points than Bloomfield’s Hatters during the final 12 games of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
Leeds and Burnley, of course, would finish first and second respectively, with a century of points apiece.
So it is no stretch to suggest that, had Bloomfield replaced now-Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards earlier than mid-January, relegation may have been avoided pretty emphatically.
“It’s not a science, but you’ve got the team that picked up the third-most points in the Championship coming down to League One here,” Elek begins, Luton’s squad full of players proven at League One level and above.
“They bring in just good players. Kal Naismith already has a relationship with the club and he’s a solid signing at centre-back. Hakeem Odoffin has done it for a couple of years with Rotherham. George Saville is one that I absolutely love.
“Gideon Kodua comes in to renew his relationship with Matt Bloomfield after his loan spell at Wycombe. Real pace and an exciting player out wide.
“Nakhi Wells comes in up front. I think he will score a lot of goals in a side that will create chances.
And then you look at the players who are still there.”
“They could lose a player in every position and still have the best squad in the league,” Maxwell adds, Kodua joining £10 million central-defender Marc McGuinness, ex-Man United starlet Teden Mengi and Championship stalwart Jacob Brown, to name but three.
Matt Bloomfield thinks Luton fans ‘will love’ Kodua at Kenilworth Road
Kodua is one of many players with a West Ham connection looking ahead to August’s League One curtain-raiser.
Michael Forbes joins Kamarai Swyer at Northampton Town under Kevin Nolan, while Patrick Kelly swaps West Ham for Barnsley on a three-year deal.
“He came through as captain of West Ham’s Under-18s and we signed him twice before, so it stands to reason we think a lot of him,” Bloomfield says of Kodua, delighted to renew acquaintances with a footballer capable of playing in a variety of roles.
“He offers options both at wing-back, in attacking wide areas and in a high ‘ten’ position, and brings good dribbling ability while linking play. He’s got pace and power.
“He’s a great lad, and he will be someone who our fans will love watching.”
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