Michael Carrick feels Isaiah Jones’ Middlesbrough career came to an end naturally, and he intimated that the winger will not be replaced on a like-for-like basis.
Jones’ four-and-a-half-year tenure with Boro came to an end on Friday, when the 25-year-old completed his transfer to Luton Town. Boro are thought to have accepted a bid of up to £5 million for the wide player, who has struggled with form and confidence in recent years.
Jones, who was a breakout star in 2021-22 but unable to replicate his success after Carrick’s arrival, had well-documented mental health issues off the pitch because he lived far from his London family home. In that perspective, and with Jones battling for game time owing to Ben Doak’s dominance on the right wing this season, it seemed like a sensible move for all sides.
Carrick stated, “It was a natural one in the end, for us as a club, in terms of what we see next, and for Izzy, in terms of wanting to play a little more than he has.” He’s relocating back down south; I don’t want to speak for him or his reasons, but there’s more to it than that. As a club, we simply thought it was the appropriate and natural moment to move on.
While Jones will be warmly remembered by Boro fans, especially for that highlight-reel first season of joy and entertainment, the conversation always swiftly shifts to what comes next in football. Boro’s next step is to determine what Jones’ departure means for their own incoming business.
Jones’ departure frees up space for an incoming player as the club enters the January transfer window with its roster at its maximum authorized size. Boro is working on it and monitoring it as the window progresses, looking for any potential opportunities to strengthen.
Given the current injuries to Sol Brynn and Seny Dieng, goalkeeper is a position of interest, and they are considering a loan move for Bournemouth’s Marl Travers. Carrick intimated that replacing Jones might not be a straight swap, as insiders told Teesside Live that weekend claims from Bulgaria linking the club to versatile forward Marin Petkov are inaccurate.
Carrick spoke on the preparation for incoming transfers following Jones’ departure, saying, “I think there’s a balance to it. There are different approaches we might use; it does not have to be one in, one out. We have several choices, which we will need to consider. It depends on who and how available they are. We clearly have thoughts about how to handle that, but at this point, we are where we are and will see what happens next.
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