Middlesbrough and Steve Gibson may have £20m Ipswich Town transfer regret | OneFootball

After rejecting a £20m approach from Ipswich for Emmanuel Latte Lath in August, his form so far this season could mean Boro regret their decision.

Middlesbrough rejected a £20m approach from Premier League side Ipswich Town for striker Emmanuel Latte Lath in the final hours of the summer transfer window; a decision that Boro chairman Steve Gibson could come to regret.

The Teessiders had made it clear that they had no interest in cashing in on their prized possessions over the summer, as Michael Carrick looks to finally get his team over the promotion line this season.

However, when Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town made a late move for Latte Lath, understood to be worth £20m, months of hard work repelling interest in the Ivorian international came down to a nailbiting final few hours.

Boro would resist any temptation of lining their pockets, however, opting to stay true to their 'not for sale' philosophy when it came to their star players.

But, neither Latte Lath's or Middlesbrough's 2024/25 season has gone to plan so far, and should that continue to be the case this season, the club could well live to regret walking away from the big-money offer from the Tractor Boys.

Latte Lath's value will take major hit should poor scoring form continue

The Middlesbrough striker has 1 league goal to his name

After arriving in the North East in the summer of 2023, the 25-year-old striker was handed the number nine shirt, and was tasked with spearheading the Boro attack.

He would perform that role exceptionally well, scoring 16 goals in 30 Championship appearances whilst also bagging a further two in the Carabao Cup, taking his total goal tally in his debut season at the Riverside Stadium to 18.

The Ivorian ended the 2023/24 season as one of the most in-form strikers in English football, scoring eight goals in Middlesbrough's final six league games.

Come the end of his debut campaign, Boro supporters were left convinced of two things when it came to their centre-forward: Firstly, the club had undoubtedly discovered a striker who could fire the club back to the Premier League, and secondly, interest from big clubs was sure to arrive.

Red Bull Salzburg, AS Monaco, Stuttgart and Wolves were all credited with an interest in Lath over the summer, but it was Ipswich whose interest was most concrete of all.

Lath was understood to have initially been frustrated that Middlesbrough's decision makers didn't grant him the opportunity to complete a move to the Premier League. But, after racing down to Cardiff to rejoin his teammates after being told to stay at home, the former Atalanta man showed he was desperate to prove his commitment to the club.

However, with Lath's single Boro goal throughout the opening 10 Championship fixtures coming on the opening day of the season, he is a centre-forward who looks a shadow of his former goalscoring self.

Registering 26 shots with five being on target, he's been finding himself in goalscoring positions, but as is the story of Middlesbrough's campaign so far, he's been unrecognisably wasteful when those opportunities have presented themselves.

The longer his goal drought continues, the further his transfer value will inevitably fall, and could well mean that Boro may not again see the sort of money that clubs were waving in front of their faces for Lath in the summer.

Ipswich appear to have found their centre-forward of the future

Liam Delap is flourishing in the Premier League

When it came to making their approach for Lath, Ipswich Town had already completed the signing of Manchester City striker Liam Delap, in a deal worth up to £20m.

But, with the England youth international unproven in the Premier League, and sitting at the tender age of 21, the Tractor Boys were evidently in the market for a more experienced centre-forward to help bolster their attacking ranks.

However, with a deal for Boro's striker being unable to be completed, McKenna placed his trust in his new recruit to lead the line at Portman Road, and he's been greatly rewarded so far.

After eight league games, Ipswich sit one place above the relegation zone, and that's largely down to the form of Delap. Four goals from his opening eight Premier League appearances has ensured he's been one of the surprise individual packages of the top-flight season so far.

Now that they've seemingly stumbled upon their striker of the future, Ipswich's need for another big-money centre-forward is no longer a pressing one, and it would surely be a surprise to see them rekindle their interest come January.

So, with their most interested party now no longer needing a starting striker, and with his form being far from what was expected of him, Middlesbrough may struggle to flog Lath in the coming windows, should they wish.

Something that was inconceivable a matter of months ago, but now is very much a reality.