Emmanuel Latte Lath’s January sale proved impactful on Middlesbrough’s season.
Michael Carrick refused to blame Emmanuel Latte Lath’s sale for Middlesbrough’s failure to make the play-offs this season, admitting that a variety of circumstances contributed to their struggles.
Latte Lath was moved to Atlanta United in the January transfer window for a club record £22.5 million. At the time, the striker led Boro’s goal scoring charts with 11 goals, adding to the 18 he had scored in his first season on Teesside.
While the offer was hefty for Boro, it has now emerged that the club’s intention was to keep the striker at the club until the conclusion of the season. His departure had a significant impact, as their goals dried up and their assault appeared far less convincing in the second half of the season.
When asked if he thought it was a deciding factor in his inability to make the top six, Carrick replied, “You can look at all sorts of things. Football players are occasionally lost due to transfers, injuries, or suspensions. That is part of it. We have lost players over time, and that is just the way it is.
“You deal with it and then move on. I believe we have a decent enough squad to handle that. I don’t think it’s just one player. It is about all of us together as a group. In the end, we didn’t get enough throughout the season to meet our goals.”
As things settle following the season’s conclusion, it has been announced that the club intends to do a thorough analysis of the season before deciding on their next steps in terms of future direction and whether Carrick will remain in his capacity as head coach.
Latte Lath’s sale was cited as one of the mitigating circumstances, implying that Carrick’s failure to make the playoffs this season is not all his fault. A top Boro source detailed the club’s side of the story about the Ivorian’s departure, including how the club opted not to sell in January.
The striker’s agent had been hoping for a move for a long time, and that persisted right up until the January window. According to a club source, they attempted to speak with the player in December, asking him to stay until the conclusion of the season and fire the club to the Premier League. They offered a new contract if their aim was met.
According to a club source, Latte Lath’s representatives made demands that Boro were unable to meet, and as Atlanta United made a massive offer and placed a contract worth £70,000 per week in front of the striker, doubts about his commitment grew. According to a club source, they believed there was a high risk that the player would become disruptive. At that point it became about negotiating the best possible fee for the striker.
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