West Ham United admit defeat in chase to sign Middlesbrough defender Isaiah Jones
West Ham are reportedly moving on to other right-back targets as they are set to miss out on Middlesbrough defender Isaiah Jones, according to Football League World.
The Hammers and Crystal Palace were both tracking Jones who caught the eye as a right wing-back under Chris Wilder last season.
However, sources have told Football League World that the Hammers have learnt that they have got “no chance” of signing the 23-year-old in January.
Boro manager Michael Carrick sees the youngster as a vital player for his team, and the club do not need money due to the sales of Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier.
Jones signed a new long-term deal last year at Riverside and has a contract at the club until 2025.
Situation
The right-back is one area where the Hammers could look to bolster in the January window.
At the moment, David Moyes has options in the form of Vladimir Coufal and Ben Johnson as two first-team right-backs, while summer signing Thilo Kehrer can also play there.
However, Coufal has struggled for regular game time this season, and there are high chances he could be sold in the January window.
Sky Sports reported on 14 December that German outfit Bayer Leverkusen are interested in Coufal while two unknown Premier League clubs are also interested in him.
In case Coufal leaves the club, the Hammers could look to move for a new right-back in January.
Jones could have been a long-term replacement for Coufal but it seems the Hammers won’t be getting him next month.
West Ham have struggled badly in the league this season. They are 16th in the league table, and need some strong results after the World Cup break.