West Ham tipped to struggle in Middlesbrough, Emmanuel Latte Lath transfer pursuit in January | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit weighed in on the transfer saga surrounding star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, who is of interest to West Ham 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 have been offered potential hope over retaining Emmanuel Latte Lath amid interest from West Ham United and the uncertain situation of current Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui.

Michael Carrick will be hoping to come out of the January transfer window with the strength of his squad retained, if not bettered, in order to continue Middlesbrough's search of promotion to the Premier League.

Boro have lost just once in their last eight matches and are fifth in the Championship table, while only league leaders Leeds United have scored more goals than their 42.

They appear to represent fair value for promotion come the end of the campaign - likely through the play-offs, with an automatic finish looking unlikely at this stage - but with so many key players hitting top form as of late, January interest in prized assets feels inevitable and Carrick will surely be braced for another saga for star striker Latte Lath.

West Ham United's transfer interest in Middlesbrough FC's Emmanuel Latte Lath

According to various reports, West Ham are interested in a move for Latte Lath this month.

The Hammers' interest was first reported last month by Sky Sports Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, who revealed that scouts on behalf of the Premier League side had been in attendance when Latte Lath scored a hattrick in Boro's 6-2 away rout of Oxford United at the end of November.

That initial interest has since seemingly progressed, though.

As per the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (29/12/24, page 67), Latte Lath's agent Matthias Veneroso recently travelled to meet West Ham representatives over a potential move, a development which may well have Boro sweating over the forward's immediate future at the Riverside Stadium.

Latte Lath's future at the club appeared to be in doubt on deadline day last summer, where he had been poised to complete a move to Ipswich Town.

But the Tractor Boys eventually saw a £20 million bid rejected, while fresh reports have detailed Kieran McKenna has been rebuffed once again in his pursuit of the 26-year-old frontman.

Following a difficult start to the season, the Ivorian has redeemed himself on Teesside and is currently his side's leading goalscorer with nine goals from 25 appearances, 16 of which have been starts.

It's a continuation of his impressive form last time out, as he found the back of the net on 16 occasions despite starting just 23 times - accumulating an outstanding record of 0.69 goals per 90 minutes.

Latte Lath is rightly regarded among the division's most feared forwards, and he'll be a huge part of any success Boro enjoy this season. Losing him must be avoided and Boro will not part ways easily, as evidenced by their reported price tag in excess of £20 million.

That demand, coupled with the seeming uncertainty surrounding Lopetegui's future at the London Stadium, could work in Boro's favour as they look to retain his services until the end of the season at the very least.

Middlesbrough FC price tag and Julen Lopetegui, West Ham situation could boost Emmanuel Latte Lath retention hopes

There are spinning plates when it comes to a potential exit for Latte Lath, and plenty of considerations to take from West Ham's clear interest.

Middlesbrough are sure to hold out for an equal, if not higher fee than what was put forward by Ipswich in the summer, while the uncertain situation of unpopular manager Lopetegui may also play a significant role.

The Spaniard has flattered to deceive since succeeding David Moyes over the summer. Supporters have been largely against the ex-Real Madrid boss, and while results have generally improved of late, the Hammers were sent crashing back down with a 5-0 home loss to Arne Slot's Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

They're now 13th in the league standings with hopes of finishing in a European spot appearing increasingly faint in spite of significant summer spending. TalkSPORT recently reported that the defeat to the Reds has placed the pressure back on Lopetegui, whose future is said to hinge upon the upcoming FA Cup third-round clash against Aston Villa.

our Boro fan pundit, Jasper Hudson, if he believes the Hammers' search for a striker may see the deal come off or if Boro's price tag will allow them to prevent a departure.

According to Jasper, Lopetegui's situation could be particularly impactful as he doesn't believe the Hammers will significantly back a manager who appears to be on borrowed time at present.

"I think the Latte Lath transfer saga will drag right the way out until the end of January, to deadline day," Jasper told Football League World.

"At the minute he's playing well and looks like a player working and running hard off-the-ball, whether that's to try and cement his place as number-one or in terms of him trying to secure a better move for himself and increase interest I'm not sure.

"There will definitely be interest. I don't think the price tag will be an issue if a team is interested enough like West Ham could be, they've got striker problems.

"The only thing with West Ham is I'm not sure what they're doing with their manager. They're struggling and a lot of fans seem to be unhappy but there aren't any clear signs that they're going to sack Lopetegui, so it will be interesting.

"If they don't sack Lopetegui, I think he's more likely to stay because I don't see why the board would back him in the January transfer window for a figure of £20-25 million, for a manager who hasn't shown promise this season.

"I would struggle to see West Ham paying that with Lopetegui in charge."