NOW: Focus is on Middlesbrough strikers as a transfer issue arises following FWD’s impressive showing.

Maybe the most satisfying component of Middlesbrough’s successful season finale has been Emmanuel Latte Lath’s form since he returned from his most recent injury.

Latte Lath, who has played a fantastic goals-per-minute ratio the entire season, has struggled to adapt to the physical demands of the Championship in his first season in England. Latte Lath has given plenty of reason for optimism going into the upcoming season by coming back from this most recent injury to score seven goals in ten consecutive starts.

Leading the Boro line with true class, there is promise in more than just his goals and their diversity. His overall performance within this time frame indicates that his body has eventually adapted to the strains of playing in England’s second division. Five of his ten starts have seen him play the entire ninety minutes, and three more saw him go over the seventy-five minute mark.

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Although he currently scores at a rate that, if he stays injury-free, would allow him to score the desired 20 or more goals in a season, that also presents a bit of a problem for Boro going into the summer when considering their goals for the upcoming campaign and fellow striker Josh Coburn.

This season marked Coburn’s first on Teesside as a recognized regular first-team player after a productive loan at Bristol Rovers the previous season. Although the academy striker showed a lot of promise during a strong first half of the season that coincided with Boro ending their losing start and going on a winning run, he has been plagued by a problematic injury since November that makes it difficult to determine his true current level.

With just three games left in the season, it is uncertain whether he will play again after a minor procedure in December failed to address the issue. He has only made five appearances since the start of the year.

Needless to say, Boro is quite excited about Coburn, but given Latte Lath’s glittering form, what they do this summer will be very fascinating. After failing in their two attempts to buy a striker in the previous two transfer windows, Boro may feel well-positioned to shift their focus this summer if the Ivorian shows he can lead the line. Due to demand and inflated price tags, center-forwards continue to be the hardest position to fill.

Boro may believe they have enough players for the position, especially with two promising academy prospects in Sonny Finch and Dan Nkrumah to cover in case of emergency. They also have faith in Coburn to come back stronger the next season and give Latte Lath some serious competition.

But given that Boro hasn’t made it into the top six this season, many of their followers will understandably be concerned about that stance and want to see what they regard as ambition from the team. The Boro hierarchy will need to handle this circumstance wisely.

Given how much injuries have affected Boro this season, it makes sense that many would think that in order to compete with both Latte Lath and Coburn, a third striker needs to be signed this summer. While there are benefits to doing that, there are drawbacks as well, most notably in terms of the expense involved, the challenge of satisfying all three, and the worry that Coburn’s growth may be stunted if he doesn’t play enough.

The one they had originally planned to utilize last summer is another option available to Boro. In other words, bring in a new senior striker to rival Latte Lath, and then loan Coburn away to guarantee him playing time.