Middlesbrough FC: "Can't wait forever" - Emmanuel Latte Lath, Atlanta United update emerges | OneFootball

Emmanuel Latte Lath remains a target for Atlanta United, but the MLS side will not wait much longer for the Middlesbrough striker.

Atlanta United's deal for Emmanuel Latte Lath is not yet dead but they are working on alternative targets to the Middlesbrough front man, including Benfica forward Arthur Cabral.

The latest update comes via Give Me Sport journalist and MLS expert Tom Bogert. It follows reports last week stating that Atlanta have had an £18 million plus £2 million in add-ons offer sitting on Boro's desk for some time now, with the prolific striker continuing to play for the Teessiders in the meantime.

However, after being withdrawn just 10 minutes into Middlesbrough's 2-1 defeat away at Preston North End last weekend having suffered a groin injury, it's now unclear until Boro know the seriousness of the problem as to whether it could put on ice any transfer talks for the rest of the window.

From Boro's perspective, they will not want to lose any key players this month, as outgoings have the potential to derail a whole campaign, and supporters will be particularly worried by the latest update on one of their star men and most vital players.

The striker was linked to the likes of Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and West Ham but then appeared closer to making a Stateside switch, with the ambitious MLS outfit emerging as the frontrunners to complete the capture at this moment in time.

Middlesbrough and Emmanuel Latte Lath update

Di Marzio has previously claimed that the initial fee that Boro paid for the striker is €5 million (£4.3 million), with an extra €1.5 million (£1.3 million) in performance related add-ons that could be met in the future, so it could reach £5.6 million overall.

After a tough period of adaptation to English football, he has since proven to be an athletic and powerful frontman, and is highly capable of spearheading the Middlesbrough attack and could be worth much more than that now, with a healthy contract and strong first two seasons in English football behind him.

A report by the BBC last week confirmed the American outfit were in talks over a deal for the forward, with Boro receiving a bid worth up to £20 million for the Ivorian to make a large profit this month. While, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, Middlesbrough are prepared to allow Latte Lath to join Atlanta.

The more recent updates come via journalist Ben Jacobs, who has reported for Give Me Sport that Latte Lath’s move to Atlanta United is currently at an impasse. The latest comes as per Bogert, who has supported this claim further, claiming that Atlanta can't wait forever and are instead eyeing Cabral:

Emmanuel Latte Lath's importance to Middlesbrough

With the MLS transfer window not opening until 31 January, Latte Lath could potentially sign long after the British deadline of 3 February has passed, but Middlesbrough would surely have no interest in letting him go without the ability to replace him.

At the time of writing, Latte Lath is currently the third-highest scorer in the second tier, recording 11 goals and three assists from 29 Championship matches. If the club does go through with the sale, then they will have an enormous task on their hands to find a suitable replacement.

If the recruitment team fail to do so, then this decision could be the ultimate reason why Middlesbrough don’t return to the top-flight this season. There simply isn't much time remaining in the transfer window to secure an effective replacement.

If Latte Lath does depart, Middlesbrough would have to hope any new arrival that walks through the door will have an immediate impact at the Riverside Stadium. However, it will be tough for anyone to settle in straight away and adjust to Michael Carrick’s playing style in such a short period of time as well.

Therefore, Boro fans will be hoping that Cabral is the player for Atlanta before the deadline, with Latte Lath remaining until the summer at least as they seek promotion under Carrick at the third time of asking.