"If we're going to replace Latte Lath" - Middlesbrough FC warned in potential Cardiff City transfer tussle | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit discussed the club's reported interest in Peterborough United forward Ricky-Jade Jones

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough have been cautioned about potentially replacing star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath with Peterborough United's Ricky-Jade Jones, who has reportedly been of interest amid discussions with Championship rivals Cardiff City.

Michael Carrick's side are poised to face something of a January battle in retaining the services of Latte Lath, who has emerged as a hot property following a stellar season-and-a-half on Teesside.

As per a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, promotion rivals Leeds are "serious" about making a move to try and beat off Premier League trio Ipswich Town, West Ham United and Leicester City for the striker's signature.

Leeds are reportedly deciding whether to launch an official bid for Latte Lath, and Boro are said to be willing to entertain offers around of £15 million after rejecting a bid worth £20 million from Ipswich on deadline day last summer.

It would be a significant blow to lose Latte Lath mid-season, as the striker has already hit double digits for the campaign after returning 16 strikes from just 30 Championship appearances in his first term at the Riverside Stadium last time out.

Widely regarded among the finest goal-getters at second-tier level, it's little surprise to see such interest mounting in Latte Lath but Boro should be scheming a succession plan and have accordingly been linked to pacey Posh forward Jones.

Middlesbrough have recently been linked to Jones, who could be poised to depart Peterborough this month amid significant interest from the Championship.

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony said a top-ten Championship club had contacted the League One side about the 22-year-old forward, and an update from Charlie Gordon of Express Sport stated Boro were in the race for Jones alongside Cardiff.

However, as per a fresh report from TeessideLive, Middlesbrough have scouted the forward but do not currently possess a concrete interest. He's said to be on a list of potential targets, though Boro are reportedly not in a position to sign another striker unless Latte Lath is to leave the club.

Jones, who clocked in as the world's fastest footballer in 2024, has scored 25 goals over the last season-and-a-half for Peterborough, including 12 in all competitions this time around. Just six of those, however, have come in league action this term.

On Monday evening, Football League World exclusively revealed an enquiry from Cardiff, which has since been turned down by Posh following the unconventional confirmation of discussions laid bare by manager Omer Riza.

As things stand, Jones will be out of contract at the Weston Homes Stadium come the end of the campaign, but due to his age, Posh will be primed to collect a not-insignificant, tribunal-determined fee.

Middlesbrough warned about potentially replacing Emmanuel Latte Lath with Peterborough's Ricky-Jade Jones

FLW asked our resident Boro fan pundit, Jasper Hudson, if Jones would represent a good pickup on a potential cut-price fee for the club.

Jasper lauded Jones' attributes, such as his renowned speed and athleticism, but he remains skeptical over whether the striker could step-up as a replacement for Latte Lath, in which case he would likely be playing second-fiddle to Tommy Conway.

"The Ricky-Jade Jones signing doesn't make a lot of sense unless Latte Lath is going and he'd be the guy to come in as a like-for-like replacement with the speed and athleticism," Jasper told FLW.

"However, his numbers don't particularly excite me and I don't think it's what we need. If we sell Latte Lath, he'll obviously need to be replaced with a striker but we'll have money to do a lot better.

"But if it is a decent price on the deal, he has got the pace and some fundamentally good traits which could help him be a decent utility player for us.

"I wouldn't be against the deal, but he definitely can't be the out-and-out number-two striker behind Tommy Conway, we know how damaging injuries can be and if we're going to replace Latte Lath then it needs to be with a quality player who has the finishing and stands out more.