According to reports, Oxford City’s non-league standout Jayden Carbon has officially joined Middlesbrough.
It appears that Rob Edwards will soon make his first few acquisitions as Boro manager.
According to reports, Middlesbrough has reached a £3 million agreement to buy centre-back Alfie Jones from Hull City, although they are still hoping to reach a deal with Blackburn Rovers to sign Callum Brittain.
However, it doesn’t appear like either of those two players will be introduced at Riverside Stadium before a gifted young attacker.
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.
Middlesbrough will be hoping Jayden Carbon can follow in footsteps of recent Boro non-league success stories
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.
Before Jones was moved to Luton Town in January 2025, he had made just about 150 appearances for the team; the deal brought Boro almost £5 million.
Lewis Wing came before Jones. In 2017, Middlesbrough acquired the attacking midfielder from Shildon, a local non-league team.
Before departing for Wycombe Wanderers during the 2022 winter transfer window, Wing made 92 appearances for the team, contributing eight assists and 13 goals.
As a result, Middlesbrough has a very good track record of acquiring players from non-league football and developing them into valuable first-team players.
