Ronny Deila told the city to get on board the fast-moving, powering train that is Atlanta United.
A high-speed train arrived Tuesday in the form of an epic designated player signing. On February 4, the club announced adding Latte Lath, the electric, fast forward from Middlesbrough FC of the English Football League Championship. He will fill a designated player spot for Atlanta United.
The contract for the Ivory Coast international is through the 2028 MLS season with an option for 2029.
A goal-scoring machine with speed and quality
There’s one clear word to describe the kind of player Latte Lath is:
Fast.
Latte Lath’s speed jumps right off his highlight reel. In fact, Atlanta United’s chief soccer officer & sporting director Chris Henderson said Latte Lath might be one of the fastest players in Major League Soccer. The center forward moves swiftly up and down the pitch. He has the kind of acceleration that can outlast defenders and make rapid runs in behind.
He’s also crafty and highly skilled in tight spaces. When the defense clogs the 18-yard box, Latte Lath can keep the ball at his feet and turn to face goal. He has a deceptive first touch, sometimes putting a shot on goal when one might expect another dribble. That quick last step can fool defenders and sneak some shots from inside the box.
“He’s a forward with excellent pace and good goal-scoring instincts,” Henderson said. “His ability to stretch the field will add another dimension to our attack.”
Teams in the English Football League Championship, the second-highest division in England, compete for promotion to the English Premier League, one of the top leagues in the world. Latte Lath led his team in scoring in 2024-25 and was tied for the third-most goals in the Championship. And his goals arrive in a variety of ways. Of his 11 goals for Middlesbrough this season, four came from his left foot and six with his right. Listed at five-foot-10, he can also finish with his head. The superb header that he scored against Leeds United in 2023 was nominated for Goal of the Month.
A proven winner with consistent production
Latte Lath has a key quality the front office at Atlanta United looks for with new signings: players entering the prime of their careers. And Latte Lath seems ready to break through.
“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,” Henderson said.
Even before making his senior team debut for Atalanta as a 17-year-old, Latte Lath has scored everywhere he’s been – in Italy during his youth career at Atalanta when he finished with 20 goals in 25 matches in one season on the way to winning two titles with the squad, in the Swiss Super League when he recorded 14 goals and four assists as a member of St. Gallen in his one season, and at his most recent professional stop in England at Middlesbrough FC.
Latte Lath scored 29 goals in 67 appearances across all competitions for Middlesbrough. In each of his two seasons at Boro, he tallied double-digit goals. His career-best was 2023-24 when he finished with 16 and added another two in the EFL Cup. That April, he scored eight goals in six games, earning him Player of the Month honors.
Since the start of last season in the Championship, Latte Lath ranks in the top six in several categories compared to other center forwards with at least 1800 minutes played:
Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
Goals per 90 minutes | 0.58 | 3rd |
Non-Penalty Goals per 90 | 0.53 | 3rd |
Non-Penalty xG per 90 | 0.37 | 6th |
Post-Shot xG per 90 | 0.49 | 4th |
Finishing Quality per 90 | +0.12 | 6th |
Shots per 90 | 2.67 | 4th |
% of Shots on Target | 51% | 4th |
His rising star power and steady stream of goal-scoring success led to his first international callup and appearance for his home country Côte d'Ivoire in the World Cup qualifiers last summer.
A designated player who speaks the language of leadership
Atlanta United entered the offseason with two designated player spots open. Within one week, they filled both spots with two scintillating attackers.
On January 30, the club announced the return of Miguel Almirón, the Atlanta United legend who was part of the inaugural roster and the group that lifted the MLS Cup trophy in 2018. Like Latte Lath, Almirón is also a fast, energetic player who arrived to Atlanta from Europe.
As designated players, Almirón and Latte Lath will be in positions to lead, which was an emphasis for Henderson since the longtime executive joined the club this offseason. From his introductory press conference, Henderson noted the importance of getting the designated player signings right, explaining that those players will be expected to produce for Atlanta and set the tone for the rest of the group.
Beyond a goal-scoring threat, Latte Lath possesses another quality that will help him lead the team in a unique way. Latte Lath is multi-lingual and can speak an impressive five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese). With other players who speak those languages on the squad, Latte Lath will be a centerpiece of connection on the pitch and off, as he also symbolizes the diverse makeup of his new city.
