Middlesbrough in "advanced" stages of sourcing Latte Lath replacement after £22.5m agreement | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are reportedly in the advanced stages of recruiting an Emmanuel Latte Lath replacement

Middlesbrough are in the advanced stages of sourcing a replacement for star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, who is leaving the Championship side in favour of joining MLS outfit Atlanta United.

As reported by Teesside Live, Latte Lath is joining Atlanta in a move worth around £22.5 million, a new MLS record transfer fee, and has already completed his medical in England, before heading across the Atlantic.

Boro currently sit sixth in the Championship table, and are the third-highest scorers in the division, having bagged 47 goals in 29 league fixtures so far this term.

Latte Lath has been central to those efforts, notching 11 goals and three assists in 29 second tier appearances, so failing to land an adequate replacement would come as a major dent to Boro's bid to land a play-off spot for the second time in three seasons.

Boro in advanced stages of search for Latte Lath replacement with David Strelec an option

According to TeessideLive, Michael Carrick's men would not have sanctioned the exit of their top scorer if they did not have a replacement lined up.

As per the same report, Boro are now in the advanced stages of finding a Latte Lath replacement, and had already laid the groundwork to prepare for the 26-year-old's exit.

One target is Slovan Bratislava ace David Strelec, who has scored 10 goals in 18 Slovakian top-flight appearances this term, while last season he produced an impressive return of 11 goals and 10 assists in 28 league outings.

A Slovan Bratislava sporting director has confirmed that Boro had been in contact with the club regarding Strelec, while a €6 million - €8 million asking price has already been set.

The Riverside faithful may recall that the 23-year-old has two Champions League goals to his name this season, which came during a 3-1 defeat to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid last month, and a 4-1 loss against Dinamo Zagreb back in November.

However, Strelec's efforts were not enough to prevent his club from crashing out of the Champions League's inaugural league phase, although his domestic goals have helped his side to top-spot in the Slovakian top-flight.

Perhaps more notably, the former Serie A striker assisted Ivan Schranz's goal for Slovakia in their 2-1 defeat against England in the round of 16 phase of last summer's European Championships.

David Strelec could be a solid Emmanuel Latte Lath replacement but there is multiple options for Middlesbrough

Teesside Live have reported that Strelec is not the only Latte Lath replacement Boro have targeted, but he could be a strong one if the North East side choose to opt for his services.

His numbers for Slovan Bratislava are impressive, while his Champions League and Slovakia exploits demonstrate that he is able to deliver against top quality opposition.

Furthermore, Latte Lath himself is proof that there is nothing stopping a talented striker from successfully making the switch from top-flight football elsewhere in Europe to the Championship, and at just 23-years-old, Strelec still boasts bags of potential.