“Expect something” - Emmanuel Latte Lath agent talk will frustrate Middlesbrough FC ahead of January | OneFootball

Lath's agent, Matthias Veneroso, has been speaking once again on the Middlesbrough strikers future, and it can't have been welcomed by Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough won't be thrilled with Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent Matthias Veneroso's latest comments over the striker's future, as the Boro star appears to have been placed firmly in the shop window ahead of the January transfer window.

Speculation over a possible move away from Teesside has been bubbling away since the summer, when Premier League newboys Ipswich Town tabled a £20m bid in the final hours of the transfer window.

That approach was rebuffed by Middlesbrough, and despite it being understood that Latte Lath was frustrated with seeing his chance to make a top-flight move blocked, the Ivorian international quickly put it to one side and has continued to play a big part in Boro's season so far.

However, with the winter window right around the corner, recent comments from his agent, Veneroso, suggests he could be campaigning for the centre-forward to secure a transfer exit in the new year...

Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent planting seeds for Middlesbrough exit

Football agents love them or loathe them, they are a huge part of the modern world of transfers. Some prefer to shy away from engaging with the media, others embrace the opportunity to share their voice.

In the case of Matthias Veneroso, Middlesbrough have found out that he is an agent who isn't afraid to stir up speculation when it comes to Latte Lath's future.

Speaking in an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb on 16 December, Veneroso's comments on the Boro centre-forward will likely see his name scratched off Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson's Christmas card list - if it was on it in the first place, that is.

Veneroso said: "He’s back to scoring. Eight goals in the first half of the season and we expect something to happen in January. He’s a striker and strikers are always the subject of attention in the January transfer window."

This isn't the first time he has spoken to the media about Lath's Middlesbrough situation. Veneroso confirmed back in October that reported interest from Monaco was legitimate, and that discussions had taken place, whilst also revealing that Boro's decision to reject Ipswich's approach in the summer did affect Lath for a period of time afterwards.

The frustration from a Middlesbrough perspective will surely derive from the fact that they will be more than aware of the potential for interest to arrive for Lath in January, as he is playing well and scoring goals.

Therefore, Boro's frustration will surely boil down to the fact that A), there wouldn't appear to be much of a requirement for Veneroso to seemingly drum up interest in Lath, and B), plenty of other Middlesbrough players are playing very well too, but their respective agents aren't speaking with the press every so often about a potential move.

Boro might be tempted to cash-in on Latte Lath

Should another offer be tabled for Lath in the new year that is in the same ballpark as the £20m approach they turned down from Ipswich in the summer, Boro could be tempted to move on from the Ivorian thanks to the presence of Tommy Conway.

The Scottish international arrived at the club in the summer window from Bristol City, as Carrick wanted two high-quality centre-forward options in his goalscoring department this season.

Conway has provided exactly that, with eight goals from his opening 17 Championship appearances as a Middlesbrough player, meaning he and Lath have somewhat shared the lone starting role in Carrick's 4-2-3-1 system so far this term.

Lath was Boro's focal point in attack last season, with Carrick being unable to call upon a striker of Conway's quality to really push him for the starting role, or replace him when injury forced him out of the lineup.

Josh Coburn was the number two option last term, and scored five goals in 21 league appearances. As such, Lath's value to Middlesbrough was probably at its highest in his debut campaign with the club.

Now that he has Conway for company, his value will only naturally have decreased slightly, and that could tempt Boro to line their bank account with his sale in the new year should they receive another major offer.

Carrick will also be concerned about the health of his dressing room dynamics too, as keeping a player at the club who doesn't want to be there could risk upsetting the apple cart, and that could prove very costly when it comes to a promotion push in the second half of the campaign.