Reason why Middlesbrough FC will win hotly pursued transfer race revealed - deal agreed | OneFootball

Boro boss Rob Edwards is about to bolster his attacking options.

Middlesbrough have reportedly completed the signing of non-league starlet Jayden Carbon from Oxford City.

Rob Edwards is looking set to finally make his first few signings as Boro boss.

It's understood that Middlesbrough have agreed a £3m deal to sign Hull City centre-back Alfie Jones, whilst they are still hoping to come to an agreement with Blackburn Rovers for the signature of Callum Brittain.

But, neither of those two players look set to be unveiled at the Riverside Stadium before a talented young striker...

Why Middlesbrough have won the race for Oxford City talent Jayden Carbon

First reported by Football Insider on Tuesday evening, Middlesbrough are set to sign Jayden Carbon from National League North (sixth tier) side Oxford City.

They claim that the 19-year-old is expected to complete his move to Teesside on Wednesday, and it appears Boro have fended off some strong competition to acquire his services.

Indeed, Football Insider also revealed at the start of this month that Leicester City and Wrexham were also tracking his progress, with the teenager said to be drawing comparisons to Jamie Vardy.

Middlesbrough's deal for Carbon has also been corroborated by Daily Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, who in posting to his X account on Wednesday morning, states that Boro have secured his signature.

McGrath's report also offers a huge hint on both why the Teessiders were able to win his services, and the club's potential plan for him too.

He claims that Boro offer Carbon his best route to first-team football at the Riverside Stadium, which could suggest that it may not be long - or that he'll perhaps skip youth team football entirely - before he's involved in Edwards' senior side.

It can be easy for fans to dismiss a signing from non-league football, but Middlesbrough supporters know all about the potential for finding gems from that market.

Isaiah Jones is perhaps the club's biggest success story in that regard in recent times, having joined Boro in 2019 from then-Isthmian South Central Division side Tooting & Mitcham, alongside Sam Folarin.

Come January 2025, Jones had made just shy of 150 appearances for the club before being sold to Luton Town, in a deal that bagged Boro around £5m.

Before Jones, there was Lewis Wing. Middlesbrough plucked the attacking midfielder from local non-league side Shildon in 2017.

Wing went on to make 92 appearances for the club, scoring 13 times and providing eight assists, before leaving for Wycombe Wanderers in the 2022 winter transfer window.

Therefore, Middlesbrough have some very strong recent pedigree when it comes to plucking players from non-league football and turning them into important first-team stars.