Middlesbrough are set to sign young forward Jayden Carbon from Oxford City, according to a report from Football Insider.
Few EFL clubs have had as quiet a transfer window as Middlesbrough, with no players bought and only one sold so far.
Josh Coburn has joined Championship rivals Millwall permanently, so new manager Rob Edwards is largely working with the squad he took over from previous manager Michael Carrick earlier this summer.
However, there is a desire to change this in the coming weeks, and a transfer breakthrough appears to be on the horizon.
According to Football Insider, Middlesbrough are likely to buy Oxford City’s 19-year-old star Jayden Carbon. According to reports, he is likely to finalize his move to the Championship team on Wednesday.
Carbon has piqued the interest of Leicester City and Wrexham, the same publication said at the beginning of July. Unfortunately, he appears to be swapping Oxfordshire for Teesside as he makes a significant step up the league ladder.
It remains to be seen whether the adolescent will join Edwards’ senior squad right away, or if he will first gain experience in the academy before moving up.
Existing Middlesbrough striker options
Carbon had six senior appearances going into the 2024/25 National League North season, but he cemented his spot in the Oxford City team during the course of the previous season.
Carbon played in a variety of attacking positions, but usually as a striker or winger, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 39 league games.
Middlesbrough could use some new options up front, and as a club looking to develop the next generation, Carbon could be one of the latest to follow in the footsteps of Teesside’s first-team stars.
Current Middlesbrough striker stats (2024/25)
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Tommy Conway | 37 | 13 | 1 |
| Marcus Forss | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Delano Burgzorg | 44 | 6 | 2 |
| Sonny Finch | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Edwards’ only experienced strikers heading into the season are Tommy Conway and Marcus Forss. Delano Burgzorg can play up top, but after those three, the other choices are younger players like Sonny Finch.
Boro’s transfer window kicks off with one for the future
Edwards will be anxious to add proven Championship players to his squad, but it appears that the Boro transfer window is starting with a long-term prospect.
Even if Carbon is given an early part in the Middlesbrough squad, it is thought that he will develop into an asset rather than signing as someone to make an immediate impact.
With the season just over two weeks away, Edwards will be hoping for a significant rise in transfer activity.
Leave a Reply