"It would be wrong" - Middlesbrough FC transfer demand issued amid Latte Lath, Atlanta United update | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his reaction to reports that striker Emmanuel Latte Lath is set to join Atlanta United.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath is reportedly set to join MLS side Atlanta United.

That's according to journalist Graham Bailey, who claims that Middlesbrough will allow Latte Lath to depart the Riverside Stadium after Atlanta United made an offer of £18 million, plus a further £2 million in add-ons.

Latte Lath arrived at Boro from Atalanta last summer, and after an excellent first season at the club, he was said to be the subject of a £20 million bid from Ipswich Town on the final day of the summer transfer window, but he remained on Teesside for at least the first half of the campaign.

The 26-year-old has continued his impressive form this season, scoring 11 goals and providing two assists in 26 appearances for Michael Carrick's side, and he has been linked with the likes of West Ham United, Leicester City and Leeds United this month.

After Latte Lath scored in the 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday, Carrick said that there had been "no change" in the striker's situation and insisted that he would continue to select him, but it seems he could now be heading to the United States.

Middlesbrough fan pundit reacts to imminent Emmanuel Latte Lath departure

When asked for his thoughts on Latte Lath's imminent exit, FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit Jasper Hudson said that he would be disappointed to see the striker depart, but he admitted that the reported £20 million fee is difficult for the club to turn down.

However, Hudson has said that it would be the wrong move to not directly replace Latte Lath with a similar quality of player in this transfer window.

"Latte Lath leaving is obviously disappointing," Jasper said.

"He's been really good since joining us, he's scored goals and he's been our main talisman.

"However, we have got a good back-up now in Tommy Conway, and if it is around £20 million, then that is a lot of money for a club like us in the Championship.

"While I think it will be hard to replace him exactly, with £20 million and Kieran Scott in charge of recruitment, I'm hopeful we can find another goalscorer.

"I think Tommy Conway will be a really big success, and hopefully he can continue his form when he comes back from injury.

"If Tommy Conway was our lead striker for the second half of the season, I wouldn't be mad at that, but I think it would be wrong not to invest and try and get another striker with a similar attributes to Latte Lath.

"It's a shame he's leaving, but there's a lot of money involved for him and the club, and he's given his all, so he deserves a move.

"Unfortunately for him, it's not to the Premier League, which I think he deserved given his performances, but hopefully the MLS works out well for him."

Tommy Conway form eases Emmanuel Latte Lath blow for Middlesbrough

Given that Latte Lath has almost averaged one goal every two games for Middlesbrough, there is no doubt his exit is a huge blow to their hopes of achieving promotion to the Premier League this season.

However, Boro do have another prolific striker on their books in Tommy Conway, who has scored eight goals in 20 games since his £4.5 million move from Bristol City in the summer, and Carrick will be optimistic that he can step up in Latte Lath's absence when he returns from injury in the coming weeks.

While the Teesside outfit would have been incredibly reluctant to lose Latte Lath this month, they will likely have been preparing for his departure for some time, and the money from his sale will provide them with funds to bring in a replacement, even if it will be difficult to find another striker of similar quality.