MIDDLESBROUGH have a clear message for any clubs showing an interest in Emmanuel Latte Lath this summer - the striker is absolutely not for sale.

The 25-year-old was this week linked with Monaco, who have had to rethink their striker transfer plans after Lyon hijacked their bid for Georgia's Euro 2024 star Georges Mikautadze.

There was a very tentative enquiry for Latte Lath earlier this summer - inevitable given his form last term - but Boro haven't received any bids for last season's top scorer.

And if any unwelcome offers are tabled between now and the end of the summer transfer window, they'll be rejected.

That's unless any interested clubs offer eye-watering sums that far exceed Boro's biggest ever sale. The Championship promotion hopefuls would have to be absolutely blown away by any bid to even entertain the idea of selling Latte Lath, who they believe can build on last season's blistering end to the season and lead a promotion charge this coming campaign.

Boro have gone public in setting out their Latte Lath transfer stance, with head of football Kieran Scott saying earlier this summer the striker "isn't for sale, we don't want to let him go."

Scott added: "Steve (Gibson) is really bullish about keeping our best players. We know we can't aim for promotion and then let our best centre-forward go.

"The form he was in, Azaz is starting to pick him out, Ayling is picking him out. We took a risk, £4.2m for a kid playing in Switzerland is quite a gamble. We took it, it paid off."

READ MORE:

Latte Lath had a slow start after joining from Atalanta last summer and the first half of his campaign was disrupted by injury. But he ended the season as the Championship's form striker, scoring nine goals in his last eight games and hitting 16 from just 23 starts over the course of the campaign.

He's now well into his pre-season programme on Teesside after having his summer break extended by a week following his first ever Ivory Coast call-up on the back of his form last season.

The striker is understood to be looking sharp and coaches are excited about what he's capable of this coming season. And, importantly, the striker is settled and happy on Teesside.

Speaking to the media in Italy in May, Latte Lath's agent Matthias Veneroso admitted interest in his client was inevitable this summer, but said: “He’s doing well at Middlesbrough, the club loves him and he has a contract."

Boro have already bolstered their forward line this summer with the capture of Delano Burgzorg, who can play up-front, as a No.10 or off the left. They are keen on bringing in another centre-forward but only if they can strike a deal for a player who's been identified as their top target. Boro are willing to be patient on the transfer front now, with the club's coaches and recruitment team delighted with the start they've made in the summer window and the current make-up of the squad.

Latte Lath will start the season as first choice striker after his stunning end to last term, but Josh Coburn is understood to have made an impressive start to pre-season after putting his injury struggles behind him.