Middlesbrough may nervously be looking at Wolves, Chelsea agreement: View | OneFootball

The imminent sale of Pedro Neto to Chelsea could give Wolves the funds to make move for Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Highlights

Middlesbrough will be hoping to challenge for promotion from the Championship this season.

Inconsistency proved costly for Boro last season as they missed out on the play-offs but optimism is high that Michael Carrick's men will be among the promotion contenders in the year ahead.

It has been a relatively busy summer for the Teesside outfit and Carrick has brought in three new signings so far, with Aidan Morris, Micah Hamilton, and Delano Burgzorg arriving at the Riverside Stadium, while Luke Ayling has completed a permanent move to the club after his successful loan spell last season.

Head of football Kieran Scott revealed this week that Boro's transfer business is not yet complete, with the club currently working on "one or two" further signings, but much of their focus in the remaining weeks of the window could be on keeping hold of their star players, such as striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Wolves among clubs keen on Emmanuel Latte Lath

Latte Lath joined Boro from Atalanta last summer in a deal that could be worth up to £5.6 million and after a slow start to his career at the club, he finished the season in outstanding form as he scored eight goals in the final six games.

Unfortunately for Boro, Latte Lath's form has not gone unnoticed, and according to Tutto Mercato Web, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Red Bull Salzburg, Stuttgart, and Monaco are all keen on the 25-year-old.

Monaco are said to be showing the most serious interest in Latte Lath, but any deal depends on whether Breel Embolo leaves the French side, while Stuttgart, who finished second in the Bundesliga last season, could make a move for the striker if they are unable to bring Deniz Undav back to the club from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer.

However, Wolves could soon have the funds to step up their pursuit of Latte Lath as winger Pedro Neto is said to be closing in on a move to Chelsea for an initial fee of £51.4 million, plus a further £2.6 million in add-ons.

Neto, who was part of the Portugal squad at Euro 2024 this summer, was reportedly also on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, but he is now set to join Enzo Maresca's side.

Wolves have identified Ajax's Carlos Forbes as a potential replacement for Neto, and while that will take up a portion of their budget, they could still have money remaining from their imminent windfall to make a bid for Latte Lath.

Middlesbrough must take firm Emmanuel Latte Lath stance

Boro may be concerned by Wolves' increased financial power and it is possible that they could now make a stronger push to sign Latte Lath but owner Steve Gibson must not be tempted to cash in on him.

Latte Lath initially struggled to adapt to the Championship and he suffered a number of injuries throughout the campaign but despite that, he still enjoyed an excellent debut season in English football.

The Ivorian's record of 18 goals in 36 appearances last term meant that he found the back of the net at a rate of once every two games, so if he can stay fit this season and stay fit, he could well reach the 30-goal mark.

Carrick will hope that Latte Lath can be the man to fire his side to promotion, and if he was to depart, it would be incredibly difficult for the club to find a replacement of a similar quality, so it is essential that they hold on to him this summer.

It has been claimed that Boro have no plans to sell Latte Lath and that should not come as a surprise given that Scott stated earlier this summer that promotion would only be possible if the club retained their stars.

"It's vital (keeping players). I don't mind saying that. I can't control what other clubs may do or may not do but, from our position, we don't want to lose anyone," Scott told Teesside Live in June.

"The only chance we're going to have of going up this season is keeping our best players. I speak to Steve [Gibson] regularly and he's as strong and fiery on this as I've ever heard him in terms of us keeping our players here."

However, that resolve could be tested if Wolves were to make a significant offer for Latte Lath, and the opportunity to play in the Premier League could be tempting for the striker.

It seems likely that Boro will reject any bids they receive for Latte Lath before the end of the window, but with Wolves set to receive a big cash injection, it could be a nervous few weeks for supporters.