“A bit of worry” – Reaction given as West Ham eye Middlesbrough ace Emmanuel Latte Lath

Emmanuel Latte Lath drew a lot of interest from the Premier League in the summer, and the upcoming January transfer window could see him targeted again.

The 25-year-old had a rough start to the 2024/25 campaign, despite scoring the winner for his team on the opening weekend against Swansea City, and a flurry of interest from Ipswich Town.

Since scoring against Sheffield United in October, the Ivorian striker has scored five more goals and appears to be back to his usual form. His recent impressive performance, including a hat-trick against Oxford United, has helped his team return to the play-offs.

However, Middlesbrough’s improved record has come at a cost, with West Ham United apparently keeping a close eye on the striker. There are fears that he will leave the Riverside Stadium in the coming months.

Verdict made on Latte Lath, West Ham links

While only 16 games into the season, Boro’s early inconsistencies have been the only thing keeping them out of the current race for automatic promotion.

But Michael Carrick’s side’s form since October has been outstanding, and they have established themselves as one of several teams vying for a play-off spot in May, though they are giving signs that they may challenge for much more.

Nevertheless, any potential loss of Latte Lath could derail that push.

Jasper Hudson, Football League World’s Middlesbrough Fan Pundit, believes Latte Lath, a Championship striker, will attract bids in January.

“He struggled at the start of the season, but he’s really recovered, and he’s been top-notch since he got back in the goals. His performance against Oxford, where he scored a hat-trick, and his return to leading the line, demonstrating his quality and being really brilliant, will always be an issue.

“It will always make him a name that elite clubs want to sign, so there is some concern. You never want to lose good players in January; it can be a pivotal period in the season. However, I’m not certain about the links to West Ham.

“There was a report in the summer about him going to Ipswich and attempting to push a move, and that deal caused some drama around the club, but we’re in a totally different position today, especially with him, than we were in the summer. So, I believe we will have to wait and watch what occurs in January to determine where the team will be.

Jasper believes the situation is comparable to Michael Carrick’s, and if the team appears to be improving, he may choose to stay. I understand that you want to play in the Premier League, and you may not receive another chance if you turn it down.

“With West Ham, I’m not sure where he’d start or how he’d fit in, and it all depends on what happens there with the manager they hire. Whether they fire Lopetegui or maintain him, they must decide what type of striker they want.

“It’s a little frightening since he’s our greatest striker, but we have a great backup in Tommy Conway, and I’m not sure he’d go. I believe it’s really 50/50, up in the air, and you won’t know until closer to the time, because circumstances will change if he goes on a bad run and doesn’t score in the next 10 games, and all transfer interest will be taken away from him.”

Latte Lath would be a huge miss for Middlesbrough

Despite a rocky start to the season, his performance against Oxford demonstrated his strengths at Middlesbrough.

He was near-perfect at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday, picking up an assist to go with his treble of goals as Boro outscored The United by six goals to two.

The 25-year-old was a constant menace in the box, causing issues for his opponents until he was removed shortly after the hour mark, to a standing ovation from his own fans.

Middlesbrough cannot afford to lose such a talented striker without finding a suitable replacement. However, West Ham is unlikely to take the risk of signing a player who has not previously shown himself at that level.

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