Exclusive: Middlesbrough FC told reason why they will "regret" big-money Emmanuel Latte Lath sale | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to FLW about Middlesbrough's sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath to Atlanta United

Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa defender Lee Hendrie believes Middlesbrough will live to regret the sale of star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath to Atlanta United.

The Ivorian forward offered a consistent source of goals at the Riverside Stadium after arriving from Serie A side Atalanta in August 2023.

Latte Lath scored 16 Championship goals from just 30 appearances in his debut campaign, which equated to 0.69 strikes per 90 minutes.

He remained prolific during the first-half of the current term by finding the back of the net on 11 occasions in 29 league matches, often keeping the likes of Tommy Conway out of Michael Carrick's side.

However, Latte Lath's goalscoring exploits on Teesside had long kept him the subject of transfer speculation and he eventually sealed a switch to Atlanta for an MLS-record £22.5 million outlay in the dying embers of the January window.

His exit came at a time when Middlesbrough were seeing their play-off ambitions slipping out of grasp amid a five-match losing streak, which was then terminated with a 3-1 win away to Stoke City at the end of February.

Boro's form in the New Year has been patchy, but they remain in contention for a play-off finish come May with just a three-point margin separating Carrick's side in eighth from sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion heading into the end-of-season run-in.

Lee Hendrie's Middlesbrough FC, Emmanuel Latte Lath transfer "regret" claim

With Boro's top-six hopes hanging in the balance, not to mention the challenge of actually gaining promotion through the play-offs, Hendrie believes the promotion hopefuls will live to regret sanctioning a sale for Latte Lath - even if it may have just been out of their hands due to the fee Atlanta were willing to stump up.

"Looking at what Latte Lath did while he was at Boro, I felt he added something different because of his pace getting in behind defences, playing in the backline and with the play-off push, I thought it could have suited him to play through the middle," Hendrie explained when speaking exclusively to Football League World.

"I do think they will regret letting him go.

"There was valid reasons why he left the club, but centre-forwards who can make impacts and score goals are hard to come by.

"Looking back, particularly with this play-off push they've been in, they'll be looking back and thinking they could have got in the play-offs [with Latte Lath].

"That's my personal view."

Kelechi Iheanacho has not adequately replaced Emmanuel Latte Lath at Middlesbrough FC

Middlesbrough had looked to have found an ideal Latte Lath replacement in the form of Kelechi Iheanacho, who arrived on loan from Sevilla in a hotly-anticipated move.

The former Manchester City striker was part of Leicester City's title-winning Championship side last season and, despite enduring a tough time in Spain, was warmly welcomed by supporters.

Iheanacho's status as a proven Premier League goalscorer with both City and the Foxes meant he was expected to fill the goalscoring boots vacated by Latte Lath, but it hasn't turned out that way thus far.

Indeed, the 28-year-old is still yet to open his account from seven appearances and has come under increased criticism from the Boro faithful in recent weeks.

It's becoming more and more difficult to envisage a late-season turnaround for Iheanacho, who simply does not appear to represent a shrewd fit in Carrick's system, and that ought to amplify any potential sense of regret Middlesbrough are already facing with the decision to cash in on Latte lath.