Emmanuel Latte Lath has attracted interest from a few clubs this summer but Middlesbrough would need a massive sum to sell him.
Middlesbrough are gearing up for the 2024/25 Championship season, which kicks off on August 10th.
Michael Carrick saw his Boro side fail to make the playoffs in the previous campaign, finishing four points outside the top six.
One of the reasons for their decline in form last term was the large overhaul Middlesbrough experienced in the summer of 2023.
After finishing fourth in 2022/23, key first-team players Ryan Giles, Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey all returned to their parent clubs while Chuba Akpom was sold to Ajax.
This forced Middlesbrough to make a number of changes to their starting eleven going into last season.
However, so far this summer, Carrick has been able to keep hold of all of his top stars, including Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Middlesbrough need massive fee to sell Emmanuel Latte Lath
Latte Lath was brought in to replace Akpom and after a slow start, finished 2023/24 with 11 goals in his last 12 Championship games.
Such impressive form has attracted transfer interest in the 25-year-old, with AS Monaco linked recently.
Losing Latte Lath this summer would be a major blow for Middlesbrough, especially given their previously poor track record with strikers.
But should the North East outfit agree to sell the Ivorian in the current window, they would net a huge fee.
Boro News spoke to transfer expert Graeme Bailey who confirmed that a few clubs have shown interest in Latte Lath since the end of last season.
However, Bailey stated that Middlesbrough would need a ‘massive fee’ to agree a sale, with a figure in the region of £20m-£25m touted.
This would smash Middlesbrough’s current record for a player sale, which saw the club earn £16.9m from Adama Traore’s transfer to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Middlesbrough should not sell Latte Lath
Money talks in football and if a club were to offer £25m for Latte Lath, it is hard to see Middlesbrough turning that down.
However, if the former Atalanta BC striker is sold this summer, Middlesbrough’s promotion chances would greatly decrease.
Signing a consistent goalscorer is a challenge many teams struggle with and Boro have plenty of past experience with this issue.
Up until Akpom in 2022/23, no Middlesbrough player had scored 20+ goals in a season since Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1996/97.
And even if the Teessiders were able to find a new number nine in the final month of the window, he would need a period to settle in and reach his top form, like Latte Lath in 2023/24.