Isaiah Jones could be on the verge of a Middlesbrough exit, with Luton Town pushing to sign the winger after a disappointing couple of years for the 25-year-old.

As is always the case when the football merry-go-round spins, talk quickly turns to what happens next - or more to the point, who Boro will be signing. Heading into this transfer window with maximum squad size, exits were always going to be needed if Boro were to be able to complete any incoming signings.

While Jones’s exit is no done deal yet, and while he’s by no means being forced out of the door by anyone at Boro, an exit this month appears likely. Jones has struggled for game-time this season thanks to Ben Doak’s authority over the right wing role, and he appears keen to seek more minutes elsewhere.

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While Boro’s official stance on their next move after Jones is currently unknown, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they didn’t replace him at all. With Marcus Forss back in training and able to play right wing, and Micah Hamilton also an option, Boro are well-stocked providing they keep Doak.

There remains much uncertainty surrounding Doak’s future, with a number of Premier League clubs keen to sign him from Liverpool this month. Boro currently view the two potential exits as separate, and it is well-appreciated that a Doak exit would require a replacement if Boro were to want to seriously push for promotion in the second half of the season.

But the money recouped on a Jones sale could be used to strengthen an alternative area in the squad, or merely protect them financially after a summer in which players arrived but no big sales were made. In that sense, it might put less pressure on them to sell the highly-coveted Emmanuel Latte Lath this month too.

And as for having the required options to cope with Jones’ exit, struggling summer signing Micah Hamilton could be the biggest beneficiary of the transfer. That’s if it meant the former Manchester City man got an opportunity on his more-natural right hand side.

While Boro have always stressed the importance of patience with the 21-year-old, there can be no denying that he has largely disappointed since signing for Boro in the summer. That said, his appearances have all come from the left flank, where it’s fair to say he’s looked unconvincing.

But in the limited first-team opportunities he earned at Man City, they were mainly from the right side - including that memorable debut when he burst beyond the Red Star Belgrade defence to fire home a Champions League goal for Pep Guardiola’s team.

Indeed, in offering his expert view on Hamilton after his switch, the MEN’s City correspondent Simon Bajkowski told Teesside Live: "I like him on the right wing but he is quite a versatile forward and has played a fair bit as a nine and false nine. It was on the right that his best moment came, scoring a brilliant individual goal in the Champions League just minutes into his senior debut. As first impressions go, they don't get much better than that.

“If he can do that on the right wing in the Champions League, he can thrive at any level. His strengths are his confidence - both belief in himself that he can beat anyone he comes up against, but also the confidence to play like he belongs in any situation. You see some players come into the City team and look awkward but Hamilton never has."

What’s interesting, in hindsight, about that expert view, is that it’s the exact opposite of what we’ve seen of Hamilton so far. In a Boro shirt, he’s looked tentative and has lacked the confidence to beat a man. But, could that simply be due to a lack of comfort on the left hand side? Simon's comments deserve to come with a reminder of the calibre of player he's used to watching at the Etihad, making his Hamilton praise all the more impressive.

What we do know is that when Boro initially signed Hamilton in the summer it was with strengthening their right flank in mind. Hamilton’s switch to the left was more a matter of circumstance than anything else.

Doak was a late and unexpected Boro signing. A player they were well-aware of, his availability came right at the end of the summer and he was a player that they felt they just could not pass up on and let join a rival - something which the 19-year-old has emphatically justified.

With that in mind, and with Doak joining Forss and Jones as right wingers at the club, Hamilton was switched to the left, where he has competed with Riley McGree and Delano Burgzorg for a spot in the team, but has ultimately struggled.

If Jones leaves though, bearing in mind Forss’ injury struggles of the last 15 months or so, there’s every chance it could open up a gap for Hamilton to become Doak’s main competition for Boro’s right wing. An FA Cup clash with Blackburn Rovers appears the perfect opportunity to test the theory that Hamilton will ultimately be better suited to Boro’s right. He could be the biggest beneficiary of a Jones exit.