“Sends out a terrible message” – Gary Pallister makes Latte Lath, Middlesbrough transfer claim

Given how the 2023–24 season concluded, Emmanuel Latte Lath, who signed a four-year contract with the option of a further year, is a welcome addition to Middlesbrough, and the club will be optimistic going into the summer.

After joining from Italian powerhouse Atalanta this summer, the 25-year-old forward—who can play as a striker or wide forward—became the team’s main man in attack during the second half of the season. He had trouble breaking into the first team of the Serie A team and was frequently moved on loan; his greatest stint came the previous season at St. Gallen in Switzerland.

According to Di Marzio, Boro paid €5 million (£4.3 million) for the striker initially, and they could pay a further €1.5 million (£1.3 million) in performance-related add-ons later on, for a total possible value of £5.6 million.

Latte Lath joined Middlesbrough in the hopes of carrying on his brilliant play in the Swiss Super League, where he amassed an outstanding 16 goals and four assists in 34 appearances. Middlesbrough was looking for a replacement for their star player, Chuba Akpom, therefore they were interested in signing him.

A comparable performance for Boro would aid in bridging the gap created by Akpom, who departed the team to join Ajax in the summer, and the loss of Cameron Archer, which was a major setback for Michael Carrick, meaning that Latte Lath had a lot of output to cover.

Following a sluggish beginning under Michael Carrick, he had to overcome a few injuries and adjust to the intensely physical nature of English football. Despite Latte Lath displaying flashes of brilliance in the first half of the season, including a brace against Leeds at Elland Road, he made just 11 appearances before March 2024, raising concerns that Boro might have to enter the striker market again.

But after recovering from an injury, Latte Lath’s performance significantly improved. In the final 14 Championship games of the year, the striker recorded 12 goals or assists, including three more against Leeds in a season-ending 4-3 loss.

Gary Pallister’s Latte Lath verdict

Since the season ended, Matthias Veneroso, Latte Lath’s agent, has spoken with Sportitalia, revealing that he expects interest in his client during the summer window. “Looking at it from the perspective of maturity and what he has done this year, I can tell you that he’s ready,” he remarked.

“After that, we’ll need to assess him appropriately, keeping in mind that he is under contract with Middlesbrough and that his goals are to win the league and a high-level championship.” Although searching the market is not our primary goal, we are aware that strikers are in high demand and that anything might happen.

In two different periods, Gary Pallister played 101 times for Middlesbrough. He expressed his assessment of Latte Lath’s agent’s remarks to Football League World in an interview.

On behalf of BetVictor, he stated to Football League World, “It’s important because he does score goals.” He is a far better player now. I don’t think we were quite certain when we first saw him. But throughout the season, he undoubtedly became ten times better. That mostly depends on Michael Carrick and his coaching group. He had a terrific appearance.

“It’s not surprising that his agent is indicating that there may be interest, but you need to cling onto him for the benefit of the fans. Both Rogers and Akpom are gone.

“It would be a terrible message to lose another player who has shown to be a goal scorer.

“I don’t know what his contract situation is, how long he’s got left on his contract, but I know from a fan’s point of view, they would hate to see him leave because it would certainly disappoint a lot of the Boro faithful.”

Latte Lath’s impact

In the 2023–24 campaign, the Ivorian striker has been a revelation for Middlesbrough, illuminating the Riverside when many had assumed that Akpom’s absence would return it to relative goal-scoring obscurity.

Being a strong, quick, and athletic frontman, he is extremely capable of leading Middlesbrough’s attack. He would be a perfect addition to any squad looking for a focal point.

Given that he is approaching the golden years of his career, there will undoubtedly be significant attention following his second half of the season.

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