5 strikers that Middlesbrough could target following Latte Lath injury blow | OneFootball

Middlesbrough pulled off a superb midweek victory Chelsea in their EFL Cup semi-final first-leg.

Hayden Hackney’s goal made the difference at the Riverside, but the win didn’t come without its issues for Michael Carrick.

As if his injury list wasn’t big enough, both Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Bangura were forced off in the first 20 minutes against the Blues.

Latte Lath is the latest striker to be sidelined, which has led to us listing FIVE potential attacking targets for Middlesbrough to pursue in the January transfer window to replace him.

Cauley Woodrow

Kicking things off towards the bottom of the Premier League with a promising Luton Town side.

Rob Edwards has done a good job of using both Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo at Kenilworth Road, but one player that has had to settle for a passenger seat is Cauley Woodrow.

Woodrow has made all eight of his top-flight appearances off of the bench, totalling a mere 75 minutes.

He reached double figures for goals in two consecutive Championship seasons for Barnsley and, at 29, there is no reason why he can’t repeat this feat.

We have seen Rhian Brewster perform extremely well in the Championship before, but his injury issues are also well-documented.

The former Liverpool man played some of his best football when on loan at Swansea City in 2019/20, scoring 10 times in 20 league outings.

He is, of course, now employed by Sheffield United and has made just seven appearances in the Premier League this year, five of which came as a substitute.

Keeping Brewster fit has proved to be a difficult task, but the Englishman is well worth the risk because the upside would be hugely beneficial for Boro.

Luis Muriel

Leicester City’s pursuit of Inter Milan midfielder Stefano Sensi is representative of just how impactful the links to an English team can be.

That being said, why can’t a team like Middlesbrough go and grab the out of favour Luis Muriel from Atalanta?

Muriel is 32 and so approaching the end of his career, but he remains a threat in front of goal.

In 2020/21, he scored 22 Serie A goals and then the season after he notched nine, along with nine assists.

The Colombian’s current deal with La Dea is set to expire in the summer, meaning that ‘Boro could acquire him at a cut-price, especially given the lack of playing time he has had recently.

Joe Gelhardt

Returning to England and there aren’t many Championship players that are more in demand than Joe Gelhardt.

Plymouth Argyle are one of many English teams to register their interest in the Leeds United man, alongside both Rangers and Celtic as well outside the second-tier.

He is currently a victim of Leeds’ success as well as their deep attacking depth, so a loan move to a club who will use him more regularly makes sense for all parties.

Gelhardt isn’t the finished project yet but he is full of energy and would interact well with the likes of Sam Greenwood and Finn Azaz, the former who he knows from Leeds and the England set-up.

The amount of Leeds players on Teesside temporarily, though, could be something of an issue, with Luke Ayling joining Greenwood at Boro until the end of the season. It might be, then, that Leeds look elsewhere for Gelhardt to ply his trade on loan.

Dion Charles

The final name on the list is someone who is scoring for fun in League One, in the form of Dion Charles.

Charles, who has 13 goals and counting for Bolton Wanderers, is regularly in the headlines when transfer windows open up.

Wanderers’ boss Ian Evatt spoke about the possibility of him leaving the club just a few days ago and had this to say to The Bolton News: “Nothing is happening as we speak but I have had a little giggle about some of the names and valuations.”

Meanwhile, Charles signed a contract extension at the Toughsheet Community Stadium back in August, which will last until 2026, but the chance of fighting for a spot in the Premier League would surely increase his interest all the same.