Championship outfit Middlesbrough are ‘very close’ to signing Emmanuel Latte Lath from Serie A side Atalanta with a deal worth around £5 million on the verge.
Middlesbrough, according to the Northern Echo, are set to replace the departed Ryan Giles with Silkeborg IF left-back Lukas Engel.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that things are progressing with Lukas,” Carrick told the Teesside Live recently. “It’s always difficult when it’s not quite over the line, but it is getting a little bit closer.
“So we’re hopeful that, at some point soon, that will get done
Time will tell who arrives first; Middlesbrough edging closer to Engel while also finding themselves on the brink of an officially unveiling for Emmanuel Latte Lath at the Riverside too.
Lath, Tuttomercatoweb report, is ‘one step away’ from putting pen to paper with the north east outfit. Middlesbrough could pay £5 million for the Atalanta frontman. The 24-year-old Ivorian would arrive after a successful loan spell at St Gallen in Switzerland.
Lath, who can play anywhere across the frontline, scored 16 goals in 34 games across 2022/23.
His arrival will help fill a void created by the absence of former loan star Cameron Archer, who is now back at Aston Villa. There may also be concerns about whether Chuba Akpom can pick up where he left off in May. Last season’s remarkable goal tally is very much the exception rather than the rule as far as Akpom’s career is concerned.
“We’re trying to strengthen the squad,” Carrick adds. “That’s the job at the moment. That’s the time of year that we’re in. We’re pushing for it and, as soon as something happens, we’ll let you know.
“Is the striker position the hardest to fill? Not necessarily. I think really it depends on what you’re after and how specific you are on what you want from each position.
“We’re patient to a point, but we’re conscious that certain things need doing as well.
