Luton Town, staring down the barrel of the relegation battle, have acquired a new winger to help improve their attack. They outbid West Bromwich Albion to secure the signature.
Luton Town was looking to improve their attack as they have only scored 27 goals, which is the third fewest in the Championship. Both they and West Bromwich Albion were looking for an attacking option that provided pace and an eye for a good pass. Isaiah Jones from Middlesbrough fit that bill perfectly. Luton Town however, always seemed to have the upper hand in the race.
Middlesbrough confirmed the transfer earlier today saying it was for an undisclosed fee. If some reporting is to be believed, the fee was somewhere around five million pounds. A fee of that sum certainly speaks to how far Jones has come in his career and how much Middlesbrough valued him.
What Does Jones Bring to Luton Town?
Isaiah Jones is a talented player who has helped give Middlesbrough some magical moments throughout his four-and-a-half year stint on Teeside. The most recent moment was an excellent pass to Hayden Hackney that set up the winning goal for Middlesbrough to beat Chelsea in the first leg of last year’s League Cup semifinals. In that one play, one can see the talent that, on his day, can make Jones one of the most electrifying wingers in the Championship. The pace to beat any defender, the eye for a key pass, and the ability to help create chances are all on display. While Jones might have taken a back seat in terms of playing time at Middlesbrough, he still has all of those qualities and more if he is in a right frame of mind.
While Jones has been played mostly as a winger under Michael Carrick, some have wondered if he is better suited as a wingback like he was under Chris Wilder and Neil Warnock. While Jones is definitely more well known for his attacking prowess, Jones is a sneakily gifted defender as well due to his pace and tenacity. He might not be the most physically talented player, but if put in the right system, he can thrive and contribute a lot to Luton Town!
Why Did Middlesbrough Let Jones Leave?
While he has been a starter for years, Isaiah Jones found himself becoming more and more of a substitute off of Middlesbrough’s bench. This is largely due to a combination of Jones not having as much of an impact while on the pitch and the emergence of Ben Doak this season. Lately, Jones has been not up to his usual standard of play. More often than not, while he would create great chances in the opposition’s box, Jones often would either lose the ball, or take the shot himself instead of passing to a teammate who might have a better angle to shoot.
Last year, Jones opened up how his mental health also played a huge role in how he had been playing. He even said he had thought about quitting football because of his struggles. It is a truly unfortunate situation that most people do not often realize when watching their club. With this in mind, the move to Kenilworth Road could provide a nice change of scenery that might unlock the talented player that Jones is. The arrival of up-and-coming star Ben Doak was almost certainly another factor that could have helped Isaiah Jones make the decision to move forward in his career with another club as he probably wants more starting playing time.
If reports are true, then a fee of five million pounds plus incentives and add-ons would have been hard for Middlesbrough to pass up especially when they feel they are currently set at right wing. With that kind of money coming in, the Teeside club can use it to help improve their squad to help improve their promotion candidacy.
This move also might show that Middlesbrough feel good about their chances of keeping Ben Doak for the rest of the season despite several bids for the exciting attacker on loan from Liverpool. Unless something comes up, it looks like Liverpool are content for Doak to finish his loan spell. Doak also seems to be happy at Middlesbrough which is an added bonus for the club that is currently fifth in the Championship.
While Isaiah Jones might have been a slightly misunderstood player during his time with the northeastern English club, he definitely emerged as a player who definitely won fans over with his electric play when on his game. This move to Luton Town is a testament to the ability of a player that went from playing in the eighth tier to absolutely showing out in the Championship. Hopefully, this move will help Jones find the form he used to have in years past with Middlesbrough.