Emmanuel Latte Lath transfer: £20m bid made as Leeds United want move
Leeds United are still interested in Emmanuel Latte Lath despite a record-breaking £20million bid from Atlanta United, according to Daily Mail Sport.
The newspaper reported in its print edition (13 January, page 10) that amid interest from the Whites, as well as West Ham and Ipswich, the first move has been made to sign the Middlesbrough star.
Latte Lath has scored 10 goals for Boro in 26 Championship appearances so far this term, and Atlanta’s offer would break the MLS transfer record if they were to get a deal over the line.
Daniel Farke has dampened suggestions that the Peacocks will look to sign a striker this month to aid their promotion push, but could be tempted to bid for Latte Lath after developments.
Leeds United must show ambition in Emmanuel Latte Lath race
Cash is hardly in short supply at Elland Road this month after a summer window which saw them sell three key assets and a whole host of other players, bringing in well over £120m to the transfer kitty.
Georginio Rutter’s sale to Brighton for £40m came after the season had begun, implying that as an unplanned transfer, his exit wasn’t sanctioned with the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules in mind.
As a result, the 49ers Enterprises have the financial backing and ability to match Atlanta’s big-money bid for Latte Lath and should be doing all they can to ensure the Ivorian ends up at Elland Road.
With Joe Gelhardt exit-bound on loan to Hull City and Patrick Bamford facing yet another injury setback, signing another striker may well prove to be what gets the Whites over the line at the end of the season.
Latte Lath certainly won’t come cheap, but with Farke still to truly settle on who his main man is upfront, adding the 26-year-old to the mix could send his side on an unstoppable path to the Premier League.
In other Leeds news, Farke’s bizarre press conference made clear that United won’t be strengthening in one position.
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