Marvelous Nakamba joins Luton permanently from Aston Villa after impressive Kenilworth Road loan spell

Marvelous Nakamba has joined Luton on a permanent basis from Aston Villa, having impressed on loan last season at Kenilworth Road. 

The Zimbabwe midfielder joined the Hatters in January, with his proactiveness on and off the ball making him a hit with the Bedfordshire side's supporters and helping the team to a third-placed finish in the Championship, before his confidently taken penalty in the play-off final shootout against Coventry kept Luton's noses in front as they secured a barely believable promotion. 

After signing a three-year deal, Nakamba said: "I'm very excited to be back home at Luton to continue the journey.

"When I joined on loan, I felt love from everyone – the manager, the board, the staff, the players and the fans.

"I was welcomed as part of the family, and that pushed me to give everything for this club and help achieve the goal we had last season, which we did.

"The fans really welcomed me and made me feel energised and motivated to do well, so it was unbelievable to pay them back in the way that we did. To see them at Wembley celebrating brought tears of joy. It was real love.

"Over the summer the manager has been saying 'you need to be here!', and I'm so happy, so excited to now be back and ready for the season."

Manager Rob Edwards added: "We – the supporters, the board, the staff and the players – all fell in love with Marv for what he gave us.

"Not just his work ethic, but his humility. He’s so unassuming; he just slotted in from day one and it felt like he had been at Luton for 10 years.

"I think he felt that love. Everyone felt that he enjoyed himself and that it felt like home for him. That's why it is special because he felt it was right, he felt comfortable, at home – and now he is.

"As a footballer, he was the glue that knitted us together. He allowed everyone to do their jobs. There were quotes out there last season saying it was like having three of him on the pitch at times – he covered every blade of grass."

"A massive thank you to [Luton CEO] Gary [Sweet] and the board - they've worked so hard on this - and to Aston Villa for making it happen."

Nakamba joined Villa in 2019 from Club Brugge, and after a strong first season in which he helped the Birmingham-based outfit reach the EFL Cup final, he began to fall out of favour, with a knee injury in the 2021/22 campaign further hampering his involvement. 

The 29-year-old becomes the fourth signing for Edwards' men this summer after Chiedozie Ogbene, Mads Andersen and Tahith Chong arrived from Rotherham, Barnsley and Birmingham respectively, with star striker Carlton Morris signing a new contract. 

Luton kick off their first-ever Premier League campaign at Brighton on Saturday 12 August.