Middlesbrough have made three signings so far this summer as they plot their next moves
Middlesbrough says Jamie Jones’s shock exit won’t necessarily mean they look to sign a new third-choice keeper this summer.
Jones was out of contract this summer and opted to join League Two side Salford City to play games despite the expectation that he would sign a new deal on Teesside and remain next season. Though he didn’t make a single appearance last term, his role as third choice is quite a specialised one and not easy to recruit for.
Boro currently have four senior goalkeepers and only three spots in their squad. But with Seny Dieng and Tom Glover both wanting to be first-choice and academy goalkeepers Sol Brynn and Zach Hemming wanting to push for game-time to aid their development, none feel like natural third-choice candidate
Since becoming more prevalent in recent years, the role has mostly been taken up by veteran keepers looking to prolong their playing careers while having one eye on what next with regard to coaching. It’s why Jones was so perfect for the role. While Carrick admits the balance of the squad will determine the eventual decision, he didn’t rule out keeping three of the current four.
Speaking after Boro’s win over Bolton Wanderers, he said: “It doesn’t really have to change plans. We’ve got good goalkeepers here and it’s good to have good and healthy competition. It doesn’t change from the outfield players. You’ve just got to manage the balance. But it hasn’t changed an awful lot at this stage.”
While Jones’s exit is a blow, it would be a far bigger loss to Boro to lose certain key players from their squad such as Rav van den Berg and Emmanuel Latte Lath, who have both courted interest this summer. Both looked impressive in Boro’s 3-0 win as they prepare for the new season, with Boro taking a hardline stance with any enquiries received for their key men.
“Of course, we’re building towards something and you can see the boys enjoy it here,” Carrick said when asked about keeping key players at the club. “They’re at different stages of their careers and we want to help them achieve success. It’s good to hear [there are no plans to sell].”
On the incoming front, Boro continue to look closely at their squad as they assess their next moves after a successful start to the summer transfer window. Luke Ayling, Delano Burgzorg and Aidan Morris all arrived very early in the summer and were involved at Bishop Auckland.
“It makes a big difference and is something we were obviously keen to do,” Carrick said. “We worked hard towards the end of last season to try and do that. You can see today the benefit of having them in early, learning and getting used to how we do things. You could see them asking questions during the game, which is what we want.
“The earlier you can get them in the better, and the fact they’ve been around from the start is great. We don’t expect too much too early. Some boys will settle quick, some take time to adjust. We’ll be patient and we’ll work with them because they’re good players and they’ve settled in great so far.
“The boys have trained well and were ready for that next step. You can only do so much on the training pitch and the next step is getting out there and getting to know the boys. They both seem to have settled tremendously well and I’m looking forward to seeing them play more minutes.”
As well as hopes they might be able to re-sign Ryan Giles, Boro are also expected to sign another attacking player this summer – though exactly what kind of attacking player remains to be seen at this stage. They will continue to be flexible throughout, with the picture in football ever-changing thanks to uncontrollable factors such as injuries or unexpected availability of players elsewhere.
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