ATLANTA – Atlanta United has signed forward Latte Lath from Middlesbrough FC of the English Football League Championship to a contract through the 2028 MLS season with an option for 2029.
Latte Lath will occupy a Designated Player and international roster spot pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“We’re excited to sign Latte Lath and look forward to welcoming him to the club and the city of Atlanta,” Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson said. “He’s a forward with excellent pace and good goal-scoring instincts. His ability to stretch the field will add another dimension to our attack. At 26 years old, he’s entering the prime years of his career and has already shown his goal-scoring ability in multiple leagues in Europe.”
The 26-year-old forward scored 29 goals and added four assists in 67 appearances in all competitions for Middlesbrough. After transferring from Serie A side Atalanta on Aug. 15, 2023, he finished the 2023-24 campaign as Middlesbrough’s top scorer, tallying 16 goals in 30 Championship appearances and adding another two goals in the EFL Cup. He finished the season on a tear, scoring eight goals in Middlesbrough’s last six league matches, and was named the EFL Championship Player of the Month for April. This season, Latte Lath leads Middlesbrough with 11 goals and has featured in 29 Championship matches, including a hat trick in a 6-2 win at Oxford United on Nov. 23, 2024.
The Ivory Coast international spent the 2022-23 season on loan at FC St. Gallen in Switzerland’s top division where he recorded 14 goals and four assists in 31 Swiss Super League appearances. He had a strong finish to the season, scoring six goals in the club’s last four league matches. Latte Lath added two goals in three Swiss Cup appearances and finished the season with 34 appearances in all competitions.
Latte Lath joined Atalanta’s academy in 2015 and had a breakout season with the club’s U-17 side during the 2015-16 campaign. He scored 23 goals in 29 regular season and playoff matches to claim top scorer in Italy’s Campionato Nazionale Under-17 B, while his team won both league and Italian Super Cup titles. He made his First Team debut on Aug. 13, 2016 in a Coppa Italia match. The forward was then sent on a series of loans to Serie B and Serie C sides from 2018-22, capping his time in Italy with three goals in 18 Serie B appearances with SPAL during the 2021-22 season.
At the international level, Latte Lath has made two appearances for Ivory Coast’s senior national team, making his debut on June 7, 2024 in a 2026 World Cup Qualification match against Gabon. Ivory Coast currently occupies first place and an automatic qualifying spot in Group F.
Player Profile
Name: Lath Junior Emmanuel Delan Latte
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Birthdate: Jan. 1, 1999 (26)
Birthplace: Anoumabo Marcory, Ivory Coast
Citizenship: Ivory Coast
Transaction: Atlanta United signs Latte Lath through the 2028 season with an option for 2029 on Feb. 4, 2025, pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
Atlanta United roster (as of Feb. 4, 2025)
Goalkeepers (3): Josh Cohen, Brad Guzan, Jayden Hibbert
Defenders (9): Luis Abram, Pedro Amador, Noah Cobb, Matthew Edwards, Stian Gregersen, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Efraín Morales, Derrick Williams
Midfielders (10): Miguel Almirón, Jay Fortune, Mateusz Klich, Saba Lobjanidze, Alexey Miranchuk, Edwin Mosquera, Tristan Muyumba, Will Reilly, Bartosz Slisz, Adyn Torres
Forwards (6): Luke Brennan, Ashton Gordon, Latte Lath, Xande Silva, Jamal Thiaré, Cayman Togashi
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