Middlesbrough suffer Emmanuel Latte Lath miss as 'big issue' raised | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit isn't too disappointed that Emmanuel Latte Lath hasn't made his return to the Riverside this summer

Emmanuel Latte Lath completed his loan move to Union Berlin earlier this week, but there was a point where a return to the Championship could have been on the cards.

The 27-year-old became the MLS' record signing just 18 months ago when Atlanta United paid £22.5 million to bring him across the Atlantic from Middlesbrough, after he netted 29 times in 67 appearances for the Teesiders.

His time in America hasn't been good at all, though, and with just two league goals for the club sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference, he's on the move once more, signing for Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin for the upcoming campaign.

However, that door to Germany was opened wide at the time as, according to the Daily Mail, visa issues meant both former club Middlesbrough and fellow Championship big-hitter Burnley ended up missing out.

Middlesbrough fan pundit remembers moments of quality from Emmanuel Latte Lath after former striker moves elsewhere

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With 16 goals in his first campaign at the club and 11 in 29 appearances through the first half of the following year, there was no doubting Latte Lath's ability at Championship level while he was at Middlesbrough.

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit, Liam Day, backed that notion up and reminisced over some of his best moments when asked whether he'd have liked to see the Ivorian back in a Boro shirt.

"There's no doubt that Latte Lath is a good player. There were times in his Boro career where you looked at him and went, 'Wow,' he said.

"He was a nuisance up top, really pacey, had great finishing at times; you look at the ones at Leeds at home, the header and the one where he cut in and put it in the top bins, that was quite incredible. But he didn't show it consistently to feel he'd be going right to the top."

Middlesbrough fan pundit "not gutted" over missing out on Emmanuel Latte Lath return

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Despite flashes of brilliance, though, Day, like many Boro fans, wasn't too happy with how open Latte Lath was about moving on from the Riverside during the 18 months he spent at the club.

He was evidently better than the eighth-placed finish Middlesbrough managed in his only full season at the club, but with Michael Carrick leading Boro into a play-off place at the halfway point of the 2024/25 campaign, many would have preferred him to stay, rather than move to the MLS.

Therefore, while Day doesn't deny his quality, even despite a poor spell in America, he isn't too fussed about losing out on bringing him back, as he'd prefer to have players who want to get to the Premier League with Middlesbrough.

"The big issue for me was that he always seemed to want to leave and that his agent was always pushing for a move," he continued. "He seemed desperate to leave the club, and that isn't what you want.

"While I'd have welcomed him back, I'm not disappointed that he's not coming back.

"He'd have been a good option, but I found it strange how he wanted to leave after a short period of time, so not gutted he's not coming back."

Middlesbrough have perfectly good striking options that would have made an Emmanuel Latte Lath return slightly pointless

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While Middlesbrough were crying out for a potent striker at the beginning of the transfer window, those issues have been addressed, and the frontline at the Riverside now looks very strong heading into the new campaign.

Boro could break their transfer record for Will Lankshear, after they brought him to the club from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could be worth up to £20 million, while also adding Kyle Joseph for £4 million.

With Lankshear being the recognised line-leader for Kim Hellberg next season, with the likes of Joseph, Tommy Conway, Morgan Whittaker and David Strelec chipping in where needed behind him, there's now more than enough of a threat at the top end of the pitch.

So, a move for Latte Lath, while a good striker, could be seen as rather pointless given the personnel at the club already and the investment that has gone into the position.

With the feathers he seemingly ruffled amongst the Middlesbrough fanbase in the way he left the club, too, perhaps the visa issues which stopped Boro going in for him were a blessing in disguise.