Middlesbrough: Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent drops summer transfer prediction | OneFootball

The agent of Middlesbrough's star striker, Emmanuel Latte Lath, has predicted there will be offers made for him in the summer window.

The form of the Ivorian forward towards the back end of the season was, without doubt, one of the best in the league. He had some issues with injuries, but, once Latte Lath returned to full health in late February, the goals started flowing.

11 goals and one assist in 14 appearances: that was the output that the 25-year-old produced in the final stages of the 2023/24 Championship campaign.

Unfortunately for Middlesbrough, this purple patch came a touch too late, and they weren't able to repeat their achievements of last season by reaching the play-offs.

The hope of Boro fans will be that they can build on their current squad and push for a spot in the top six, or more, next season, but there is a chance that Latte Lath might not be around to help them achieve that goal.

Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent on his Middlesbrough future

Latte Lath's agent, Matthias Veneroso, spoke to Sportitalia and revealed that he is anticipating interest in his client in the summer window.

He said: "If I had to look at it from the point of view of maturation and what he has done this year, I can tell you that he’s ready.

"Then we’ll have to make the appropriate evaluations, bearing in mind that he has a contract with Middlesbrough, where he’s aiming to do a top-level championship and try to win the league. Having to look around is not our first objective, but we know that strikers are rare commodities and anything can happen…"

The 25-year-old only signed with the Teesiders last summer from Atalanta for €5 million (£4.3 million), as per Gianluca Di Marzio.

Latte Lath's representative now believes that the price that a team would have to pay to sign the forward would be way above that level.

"I can’t tell you the value. The English market is different from all others. It’s certainly a high value, I imagine at least triple what was paid. The club will decide it in the face of any requests," said Veneroso.

"We are certainly attentive to those steps that can represent growth for the player," said the agent, when asked about a potential return to Serie A.

"Without having the need and the desire to necessarily do something.He’s doing well at Middlesbrough, the club loves him and he has a contract.

"We have to understand what will happen, because being a striker we know that some offers will arrive, but they will have to be carefully evaluated."

Emmanuel Latte Lath could be Middlesbrough's next Chuba Akpom

Unfortunately for teams like Boro, the fate of their best players, if the club doesn't rise up the leagues, is pretty much sealed - they will be bought by a team at a higher level.

It happened this season to Morgan Rogers, when he was signed by Aston Villa after paying an initial £8 million, which could rise to £16 million, to Middlesbrough, and it happened to Chuba Akpom when he left to join Ajax last summer.

Akpom was a revelation for Michael Carrick, and a huge part of Boro's successful 22/23 campaign. But, because they didn't win promotion, it put them in a very vulnerable position, in terms of keeping him.

Latte Lath could be as impactful. He has the ability of a player that can be one of the best in the division, when it all clicks.

But, ultimately, if Boro fail to advance up the leagues, then he will be picked off by a team with better finances.