Isaiah Jones departs: 2 nightmare scenarios Middlesbrough will want to avoid in the January transfer window
It’s been a couple of weeks that have improved a lot for Middlesbrough after a poor start to the season.
Much was expected of Boro this season but Chris Wilder was sacked with the club in and around the relegation zone in October.
Former Manchester United midfielder and caretaker manager Michael Carrick replaced Wilder at Riverside Stadium and the 41-year-old has sparked a rebound in form with the club upwardly mobile and nearing the play-offs.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, Carrick will have his first opportunity to make his mark on the squad while looking to reinforce for a potential promotion boost.
But while Carrick will be hoping for new arrivals, what are some of the nightmare scenarios he’s hoping to avoid next month?
Departure of Isaiah Jones
Boro is no stranger to losing some of his younger talent after Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier left the club for Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth respectively in the summer.
While Spence wasn’t too much of a loss considering he probably wouldn’t play under Wilder, Tavernier was an integral part of the team and his sale was incredibly disruptive ahead of the start of the season.
Winger Isaiah Jones has been moved to a more advanced position by Carrick and has put in some impressive performances and with clubs already eyeing him Boro will fear any enquiries.
As we exclusively revealed in October, both Crystal Palace and West Ham United are keen on the 23-year-old but chairman Steve Gibson has no intention of selling the campaign.
But Gibson has previously shown that someone who matches his assessment of a player can consider the offer and with Jones on the radar of Premier League clubs it may be a matter of time before that resolve is tested.
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Chuba Akpom interest
While there are currently no rumors of interest in striker Chuba Akpom, if he continues in his current form it is unlikely to remain so.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a remarkable revival at Teesside after falling out of favor under Wilder and becoming one of the club’s top scorers.
Appointed to the No. 10 role under Carrick, Akpom went on to become one of Boro’s leading attacking threats.
As Akpom remains on the goalscoring chart, he’s likely to draw more attention and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, Boro could be in a vulnerable position should that happen.
