Middlesbrough could make serious Latte Lath profit if current path continues: View | OneFootball

Lath reportedly cost just 5 million euros. He's bound to be sold for considerably more if he continues on his trajectory

Key Takeaways

Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath has been impressive since signing at the Riverside Stadium from Serie A side Atalanta in the summer of 2023.

The Ivorian international has been a staple for Michael Carrick's Boro and after a slow start, produced some impressive numbers last season, which are on track to be matched in the Teessiders' bid for a return to the Premier League after seven seasons away.

Latte Lath signed from Atalanta without making a single appearance for the Italian club but had impressed during loan spells. Particularly during his time with Swiss outfit St. Gallen, when he netted 14 goals in the 2022/23 season.

The forward, whose arrival reportedly cost £5.6 million (with add-ons), is 25 and is just entering the early stages of his peak but is impressing and it's no surprise there has been interest from the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, AS Monaco, Stuttgart and Salzburg.

Carrick is sure to want to keep hold of the striker for as long as he can, but after already kicking off his campaign with Boro's opening goal of the season versus Swansea City from the spot, it will be a challenge to retain him at the Riverside for years to come.

Boro bound to gain a high fee from Latte Lath given upward trajectory

Given the task of replacing Chuba Akpom, Latte Lath made a slow start to his debut season at the Riverside – scoring five times in his first 16 Championship games – but would come good in the latter stages of the campaign.

An ankle injury kept him out from December to February but once he was back fit, the 25-year-old tore up the second tier. He bagged 11 goals in 14 matches as he helped the Teessiders go close to a top-six finish.

The direct striker showed he is capable of scoring all types of goals. An athletic and powerful forward on the back of an eye-catching first season in English football, if he can continue his upward trajectory, Boro should be able to make a significant profit on the money they spent – particularly given his contract doesn't expire until 2027.

Fans will be desperate not to see him leave this summer given the important part he looks set to play in this season's promotion tilt. That stance is seemingly backed by the club chiefs.

Speaking to the Northern Echo, Head of football Kieran Scott says owner Steve Gibson is "really bullish and fiery" in his desire to attain Boro's stars for this season, in the hope they will propel them to that goal.

Scott stressed that the striker "isn't for sale" this summer despite the increased interest, but Boro show no signs of losing him.

He added: "We want to build around the guys we've got, add players at that level and higher and really challenge this year. The only way we're going to do that is keeping players here."

If Latte Lath was sold, Boro should set an asking price of at least £20m

Given last season's numbers, his current position at the club, and his long-term contract, Middlesbrough shouldn't be backing down when it comes to the right fee for the striker.

This late in the window, and with club chiefs making their stance on his future clear, Boro should be demanding £20m to let their star striker go.

Finding a replacement for him at this point would be no mean feat, with plenty of other EFL sides searching for goalscorers, and though the fee may seem ridiculous to some, the truth of the matter is that the North East club don't want to sell so it would take big money to make them do it.

It remains to be seen how long the Teessiders will be able to keep Latte Lath for but on his current trajectory, there is surely no doubt that they're set to make a serious profit.