Luton confirm signing of defender George Johnston from Bolton

Luton Town have announced the signing of defender George Johnston, who joins the club from Bolton Wanderers.

The 27-year-old defender moves from the Toughsheet Community Stadium to Kenilworth Road on a free transfer after expiry of his deal with Bolton, with the defender moving less than a month after captaining Bolton in the League One play-off final.

Johnston is the first signing made by Luton in the new transfer window. The Hatters have not formally disclosed the length of Johnston’s contract.

The defender has left Bolton after spending 5 years with the Lancashire club. He made 191 appearances for Bolton after joining from Wigan Athletic in 2021, with his time including a recovery after missing the entire 2023/24 season due to injury. His final appearance came as Bolton beat Stockport in the play-off final to confirm their promotion to the Championship.

Luton Manager Jack Wilshere said he was delighted to get Johnston signed up ahead of the new season.

Speaking to the official Luton website, he said, “We’re really pleased to get George through the door. He’s one we knew about through playing against him earlier in the season and we’ve tracked him for a few months.

“As soon as it became clear he wasn’t going to be staying with Bolton, George became a priority for us to sign him. Not only is he a very good footballer who will suit our style and identity, he’s a proven winner and a real leader.

“I always say about experiencing something being the best way to learn, and we couldn’t have signed anyone with more recent success in this division on their CV than we have with George.

“He’s captained a very good Bolton side to victory at Wembley and I know from people I’ve spoken to about him, and from our conversations over recent weeks, that we have got ourselves a top person as well as a top player.”