Leeds United promotion rivals set to enter striker market with significant new transfer kitty cash boost
Leeds United's Championship rivals Middlesbrough are in the market for a striker with only a few days of the January transfer window remaining.
Michael Carrick's side are set to lose Emmanuel Latte Lath to Major League Soccer outfit Atlanta United for a fee widely reported to be £22.5 million. The Ivorian striker has hit double figures for Boro this season, in addition to finding the net 18 times across all competitions last term.
The 26-year-old's goal-getting has attracted the attentions of MLS club Atlanta with Boro seemingly viewing the £22.5 million sum too good to turn down. Reports in the north-east state the club will add a centre-forward to replace Latte Lath before the end of the January window, though, meaning Leeds could now be in a battle for what is an already small pool of available strikers, with yet another club.
Earlier this week it emerged United had seen a loan approach for Southampton's Cameron Archer rejected, while fellow promotion-chasers Sunderland were also credited with an interest in the ex-Boro and Preston North End loanee.
Should Boro put their transfer kitty, soon to be boosted by the Latte Lath sale, to good use, it could render the Riverside Stadium a more likely destination than Elland Road during the final days of the window.
Leeds will not, however, entertain the sale of key players at such a late stage therefore Boro's spending power will likely trump the Whites before the February 3 deadline. United do, though, have the benefit of sitting top of the league and a more realistic chance of promotion which could sway any possible striker negotiations in their favour.
Daniel Farke admitted that due to Patrick Bamford's ongoing injury problems, the club would 'stay awake' to the possibility of signings in attack right up until the deadline. Leeds currently have two fit and available centre-forward options in Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph while Bamford has sat out the past month with a hamstring issue.