Leeds United ‘given Emmanuel Latte Lath lifeline’ after new transfer bid
Leeds United transfer target Emmanuel Latte Lath could still be up for grabs after Atlanta United turned their attention to a new striker.
GiveMeSport reported on 29 January that the MLS side had submitted a £14.5million bid for Benfica forward Arthur Cabral – himself a former Elland Road target – with their deal for Latte Lath having stalled.
Atlanta had beaten the Peacocks to the punch earlier this month by launching a mammoth £20m offer for Middlesbrough’s Latte Lath, but their talks with the Ivorian have hit a snag as he weighs up the move.
As a result, and with the MLS club showing a clear willingness to move on from Latte Lath, the door could suddenly be open again for United to seal the deal for a striker who could well fire them to promotion.
Leeds United have nothing to lose in Emmanuel Latte Lath transfer
Daniel Farke has reiterated throughout January that the Whites won’t be rushed into launching last-minute transfers before the 3 February deadline, even with Patrick Bamford facing another injury layoff.
However, as was made evident by Monday’s goalless stalemate against Burnley at Turf Moor, the Peacocks can still lack the killer instinct to turn the prospect of promotion into a guarantee.
Signing a striker, therefore, would be a welcome addition, and with Latte Lath being by far the most prolific of the frontmen they’ve been linked with, his arrival in the next five days could be seismic.
With Joe Gelhardt heading out on loan to Hull City and Bamford’s injury compounding his own hopes of ever being a reliable option again, Farke is left with just Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph to choose from.
Latte Lath could provide the perfect combination of finishing ability and build-up play which Piroe and Joseph have in isolation respectively, and with Atlanta stalling, the time is now for the Whites to pounce.
In other Leeds news, Jim White revealed that he’s had “secret conversations” to back up his verdict on United’s promotion.
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