Luton could be forced to pay out £10million for being PROMOTED to Premier League as play-off hunt hots up
LUTON TOWN will have to splash £10million if they earn Premier League promotion.
The Hatters are third in the Championship table - just five points off second.
However, joining the Premier League for the first time ever will cost the Bedfordshire side - as they will have to make huge improvements to their stadium to comply with top-flight regulations.
Chief executive Gary Sweet said they would have to "pretty much rebuild" one stand at Kenilworth Road.
Sweet told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is maybe more of a gargantuan task than building a new stadium.
"There's rather a lot of work to do.
"We've got about £8m, maybe £10m of improvements to do which is pretty much rebuilding one stand in less than three months, which is some task.
"It's just really to comply with Premier League's broadcasting requirements and some facility requirements that are needed."
Sweet said the club "hoped to be putting a spade in the ground" to build the 23,000-seater stadium "at the end of this year or early next".
Luton have had planning permission for their new ground since 2019.
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Sweet added: "It's quite a heavy investment for football at that level for us and will firmly put us into the Premier League bracket.
"But just to be able to get Kenilworth Road ready now, just for maybe two or three years, is maybe more of a gargantuan task than building a new stadium."
Luton are in action again on Saturday against Rotherham at the New York Stadium.