MIDDLESBROUGH have completed the signing of Danish full-back Lukas Engel and Ivorian forward Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Engel joins from Danish club Silkeborg in a deal that could eventually be worth around €2m, while Latte Lath moves to Boro from Italian side Atalanta for a reported fee of around €5m.
Engel, a 24-year-old left-back, has signed a four-year contract on Teesside and joins to replace Ryan Giles, who returned to Wolves at the end of last season’s loan spell before eventually going on to make a permanent move to Luton Town.
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A former Denmark Under-21 international, he has made almost 200 career appearances in his homeland, having joined Silkeborg from Velje in January 2022.
He claimed 16 assists in his two seasons in the Danish top-flight, and represented Silkeborg in the Europa Conference League last season.
“Lukas is a good age,” said Boro head coach Michael Carrick. “He’s already gained experience to a point and is looking to make the next step in his career.
“He’s desperate to do well, and you can tell he’s very happy to be here. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Engel underwent a medical at the end of last week and spent the weekend tying up the formalities of his move to Teesside. He has been playing with Silkeborg in the early weeks of the Danish season, meaning he should be match fit, so provided his international clearance comes through in time, he should go straight into the Boro squad for Saturday’s home game with Huddersfield Town.
Latte Lath, a 24-year-old forward, has signed a four-year contract at the Riverside, with Boro having the option of a further one-year extension.
Having been born in the Ivory Coast, he moved to Italy to join Atalanta’s youth ranks as a teenager. He made his senior Atalanta debut in August 2016, and scored his first senior goal later the same season in a Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.
He then had a series of loans in the Italian lower leagues, with his best spell coming with Serie B side SPAL in 2021-22 when his dramatic injury-time equaliser against Brescia helped seal his temporary employers’ survival in the Italian second tier.
He spent last season in the Swiss top-flight, on loan at St Gallen, scoring 16 goals and claiming four assists in his 34 senior appearances.
“He’s (Latte Lath) a similar age to Lukas and he also has plenty of experience from playing in Italy and Switzerland,” said Carrick, who has been keen to sign a new central striker to replace Cameron Archer, who returned to Aston Villa at the end of last season’s loan spell. “He’s exciting, quick, looks very sharp and can make things happen.
“I’m looking forward to getting both players settled in with the group, and am delighted to have them both.”