Middlesbrough sending early warning after £4m transfer masterstroke: View | OneFootball

Michael Carrick will hope he is sufficiently backed this summer to help turn Middlesbrough into promotion contenders once again.

It has been a frustrating 2023/24 season for Boro, as it was expected that they would be in and around the top six for most of this season.

However, that hasn’t been the case, as inconsistency has cost them at crucial points in the campaign.

Carrick’s men did find some form in the last couple of weeks, and that did put them in contention for a play-off spot for a bit, but that soon ended, as they had too much to do.

In that run of form, which saw them win five out of nine, forward Emmanuel Latte Lath was a big part of their victories, with the forward scoring in five of the last seven games.

Boro brought in the forward in the summer for £4 million, and while it was a slow start for the player, he is now sending an early warning for next season.

Before this season, striker Emmanuel Latte Lath had never played football in England, with the 25-year-old spending all but a single season in Italy.

Latte Lath came through the academy at Atalanta, playing for their youth team before joining their under-17s, under-19s, and then the first team.

The forward also had a lot of time on loan at other clubs, as he was sent to a few Italian teams, as Atalanta was keen for the player to gain valuable experience.

Last season, Latte Lath spent the campaign on loan at Swiss side FC St. Gallen, where he found his shooting boots, as he scored 14 goals in 31 league games.

Form obviously got the attention of Michael Carrick and Middlesbrough, as after that loan, the club agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign the forward for £4 million.

This is still a large fee for a Championship club, but Boro were keen to bring in a forward after losing Chuba Akpom, and they turned to Latte Lath to be his replacement.

It took the striker a bit to get going, but as we close in on the end of this campaign, Middlesbrough will be enjoying what they are seeing from their centre-forward, and the club is sending a warning of what is to come next season.

Middlesbrough is sending a warning for next season with Emmanuel Latte Lath

Chuba Akpom’s excellent 2022/23 season with Middlesbrough always meant it was likely he was going to leave, especially as the club didn’t seal promotion to the Premier League.

So, there will have been a lot of pressure on Carrick and the club’s board to find a suitable replacement.

They decided to put their faith in Emmanuel Latte Lath, who Middlesbrough fans may not have heard of before, given that his career has been spent mostly in Italy.

The 25-year-old had some very big shoes to fill, and as expected, it did take some time for the striker to get going at Boro and in the Championship.

Latte Lath had never played in this league or the country before, so there would have been a lot of doubt about whether he could fill the void left by Akpom.

By Christmas, Latte Lath only had five goals to his name in the Championship, but once back from his injury in February, the forward has hit sensational form, form that will have pleased Middlesbrough and Carrick.

Since Boro’s game against Norwich City at the beginning of March, Latte Lath has scored nine goals in 10 league games, making him one of the most in-form strikers in the division.

Overall, this season, the striker has started 21 of the 28 games he has played, during which time he has 14 goals to his name, outperforming his xG of 10.30 and averaging a goal 0.5 times per game.

Latte Lath has been making a real nuisance of himself in front of goal, averaging 2.4 shots per game, with at least 1.3 being on target.

The forward could have added more goals to his name, as he’s missed 15 big chances this season. However, he has made up for it by creating three big chances for his teammates, collecting 0.5 key passes, and grabbing a single assist, per Sofascore.com.

Obviously, Latte Lath’s form has come a little late for Middlesbrough, as they can’t make the play-offs now and have very little to play for. But his form will just be a warning sign to the rest of the division, showing what he can bring to the table and what he can do for Boro next season.

Carrick will hope to have a better squad for next season, but with the form Latte Lath is in, he is proving to be an excellent striker at this level, and there is no reason why he can’t continue scoring goals against them next season.