Middlesbrough striker and deadline-day Town target Emmanuel Latte Lath’s agent is expecting “something to happen” with his player in January.
The Blues made a late move for the 25-year-old in the summer, his agent Matthias Veneroso revealing in November that Town had tabled a bid of £20 million which was of such a size it had to be considered by all parties.
However, the Teessiders dug their heels in and opted not to take the cash for the Ivorian international, who is contracted until the summer of 2027 with Boro having an option for a further season.
With the opening of the January window only a couple of weeks away, Veneroso says he anticipates interest in his player, who has scored eight goals this season, seven in the last 11 matches after a 10-game dry spell.
"He’s back scoring,” he told Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb. "Eight goals in the first part of the league and we expect something to happen in January. He is an attacker and the attackers are always the subject of attention in the January market.”
Whether the Blues will return for Latte Lath, who was reported to have been watched by West Ham as he netted a hat-trick against Oxford last month, remains to be seen but Town are certain to look to add a number nine to their ranks durting January.
Kieran McKenna’s options are currently limited with George Hirst out with a knee injury, Liam Delap suspended for one match following his post-game booking at the weekend and Ali Al-Hamadi continuing to have issues with his adductor having made a big jump from playing League Two football as recently as January.
Elsewhere, Town are claimed to be among a number of clubs showing interest in 18-year-old Preston forward Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, along with Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, by Spanish website Fichajes.net.
The Brazil-born Argentine, who is contracted until the summer of 2026, is yet to make a senior appearance for the Lilywhites, but scored against Town in the Blues’ 2-1 pre-season friendly victory at Deepdale in the summer of 2023.
Meanwhile, Town's FA Cup third-round opponents Bristol Rovers have sacked manager Matt Taylor after just over a year in the job. Coaches David Horseman and Lee Cattermole have been put in temporary charge.