Middlesbrough cannot let West Ham open Latte Lath transfer door | OneFootball

West Ham United reportedly watched Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath in action at Oxford United on Saturday.

It has been an excellent few weeks for Middlesbrough in the Championship, and the form of striker Emmanuel Latte Lath has been crucial to their strong recent form.

Boro made an inconsistent start to the season, with frequent defensive mistakes and wastefulness in front of goal causing frustration for supporters, but performances were generally positive.

It is fair to say that Michael Carrick's side have now found their clinical edge, and they secured their third consecutive victory with an emphatic 6-2 win over Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

Boro have scored an incredible 15 goals in their last three games, and they currently sit fifth in the table ahead of the game against Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night.

Latte Lath's fine form continued as he scored a hat-trick in the victory over Oxford, but Boro supporters will be concerned by reports on Monday morning that West Ham United are keeping tabs on the striker.

West Ham United watch Emmanuel Latte Lath in action

Latte Lath joined Boro from Atalanta last summer in a deal that could eventually be worth £5.6 million, and after a slow start to his time on Teesside, he found his feet in the second half of last season.

The 25-year-old ended the campaign with 18 goals in 36 appearances, meaning that he was on the scoresheet once every two games on average, and after scoring eight goals in the final six matches, many expected him to take his prolific form into this season.

Latte Lath enjoyed a promising start to the season as he netted the winning penalty in his side's 1-0 win over Swansea City on the opening weekend, but he then experienced a tough few months after a dramatic deadline day transfer saga.

Ipswich Town had a bid rejected for Latte Lath on the final day of the transfer window, and he was said to be frustrated that Boro blocked his opportunity to play in the Premier League with the Tractor Boys.

Latte Lath initially did not travel with the rest of the squad for the game against Cardiff City, but he eventually changed his mind and was introduced as a second half substitute in his side's 2-0 win over the Bluebirds, with Carrick insisting that there was "not one bit of worry" for him about how the Ivorian would respond to missing out on a move to Portman Road.

It appears that the transfer speculation did have an effect on Latte Lath as he went on a 10-game goal drought, resulting in him being dropped to the bench for the game against Sheffield United last month.

However, Latte Lath scored the winner against the Blades after being introduced as a second half substitute, and that has sparked a turnaround in fortunes for the striker, who has scored five goals and provided two assists in his last three games.

Worryingly for Boro, Latte Lath's form has not gone unnoticed, and according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, scouts from West Ham were present to watch him in action against Oxford on Saturday.

Emmanuel Latte Lath speculation will be a concern for Middlesbrough

While Carrick will have been delighted to see Latte Lath score a hat-trick against Oxford, from a Boro point of view, it could not have come at a worse time with scouts from West Ham in the stands.

Latte Lath is an excellent striker, possessing clinical finishing ability, pace and aerial strength, and all of his positive attributes were on display in the demolition of the U's on Saturday.

The Hammers have made some high-profile striker signings in recent years, including the likes of Gianluca Scamacca and Niclas Fullkrug, but with many turning out to be costly transfer flops, they have continually been forced to turn back to Michail Antonio.

There is no doubt that West Ham are in desperate need of a striker, and Latte Lath could fit the bill perfectly for Julen Lopetegui's side, which will be a big concern for Boro.

Boro do have plenty of dangerous attacking options, and in Tommy Conway, who has scored six goals in 12 games since his £4.5 million move from Bristol City this summer, they have a potentially perfect replacement for Latte Lath.

However, while Conway is more than capable of being a prolific goalscorer, he does not quite have the same quality as Latte Lath, and the Teesside outfit will not want to lose any of their stars, particularly at a time when they are starting to emerge as serious promotion contenders.

Latte Lath has responded impressively to being dropped to the bench by Carrick last month, but the failed move to Ipswich impacted his form for a lengthy period of time, and Boro will fear that transfer speculation could once again have a detrimental effect on the striker's performances.

Boro refused to cash in on any of their key players during the summer transfer window, but with rumours about the futures of Latte Lath and defender Rav van den Berg, who has been linked with Crystal Palace, already starting to gather pace, they could face some big decisions in the New Year.

If Carrick's men are to achieve their promotion ambitions this season, Latte Lath is a player they simply cannot afford to sell, and they must take a firm stance in January and reject any bids they may receive for their number nine.