Middlesbrough are debating whether to sell winger Isaiah Jones during the January transfer window, as he is thought to be looking to leave the club.
Jones joined Middlesbrough from non-league Tooting & Mitcham United in the summer of 2019, and following loan spells in Scotland with St Johnstone and Queen of the South, he established himself in the first squad at the Riverside Stadium in the 2021-22 season.
Jones reportedly drew interest from Crystal Palace and West Ham United during an outstanding debut season, but he has struggled to maintain the same level of success in succeeding years.
Jones scored nine goals and five assists in 41 games last season, but he has dropped down the pecking order this season following the arrival of Ben Doak on loan from Liverpool in the summer, and he has yet to score or assist in 19 appearances.
The 25-year-old only signed a new three-year contract with Boro in April, but as we exclusively disclosed this week, he wants to leave the club in January, and other clubs are thought to be interested in him.
| Isaiah Jones’ stats for Middlesbrough (as per Transfermarkt) | |
| Appearances | 145 |
| Goals | 13 |
| Assists | 19 |
| Stats correct as of 20th December 2024 | |
Middlesbrough told not to sell Isaiah Jones in January
When asked about Jones’ predicament, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan analyst Jasper Hudson said he understands why the winger wants to leave in pursuit of regular game time, but he believes the club should only contemplate a loan move in January, rather than a permanent departure.
“I completely understand why Isaiah Jones wants to leave,” Jasper told me. “It can’t be an easy position for him; he’s been there since he came out under Neil Warnock, but Ben Doak is more superior, and Jones has little chance of starting ahead of him this season.
“A loan could be beneficial for both him and us.
“He hasn’t been at his best recently, so a loan to a lower Championship club would be an excellent opportunity for him to display his abilities, get some consistent playing experience, and maybe return to the great player he can be.
“When he’s on his game, he’s one of the finest wingers in the Championship, with so much raw pace and talent, but we haven’t seen that from him, so I believe a move to a Championship team would be a fantastic deal.
“I wouldn’t want to lose him permanently; I feel like if we don’t go up this year, we need him next year in the Championship, so from a fan’s standpoint, a loan is the ideal option , but I understand he might want a permanent move.
“I anticipate there will be a slew of teams in the Championship vying for his signature. “If he leaves on a permanent basis, I wouldn’t accept anything less than £1.5-2 million since there is still a lot of potential.
“The one caveat is that he hasn’t played well recently, so I believe that if we sell him, we could lose a lot of money.
“Even if it’s just a loan until the end of the season, and he’s been on loan for a good half a season like Djed Spence, we can get a better market value for him because convincing a team that £2 million is the right price tag for a player who barely plays in the Championship will be difficult.
“I’d much prefer it to be a loan, and hopefully he will come back a better player for it.”
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