Official | Union Berlin take Ivorian striker Emmanuel Latte Lath (27) on loan

Union Berlin have officially completed the signing of Ivorian international Emmanuel Latte Lath from MLS side Atlanta United. The announcement from the Bundesliga club early on Sunday evening came as quite the surprise, considering earlier reports suggested no deal was imminent.

The 27-year-old centre-forward joins the Bundesliga club on loan for the entirety of the 2026/27 campaign. Union have also secured an option to purchase Latte Lath permanently at the end of the season. Atlanta confirmed that Union will assume the striker’s full salary during the loan.

Transfermarkt reports that Latte Lath presently earns approximately €2.8m per year. 

Union address exigent striker problem

Latte Lath arrives in Köpenick following several seasons in which Union have lacked a consistent Bundesliga goalscorer. Results thus far in pre-season also served to underscore how desperately die Eisernen require help at the center-forward position.

Sheraldo Becker remains the club’s most recent player to reach double figures in a league campaign, having scored 11 goals during the 2022/23 season. Oliver Burke led Union with only six Bundesliga goals last year. Andrej Ilić contributed five league goals and 11 assists, but the Serbian international proved more effective as a provider and aerial focal point than as a reliable finisher.

His arrival was confirmed shortly after Union drew 2-2 with Cagliari on Sunday. Ilyas Ansah scored twice in the closing stages as the Bundesliga club recovered from a two-goal deficit. The result nevertheless extended Union’s winless pre-season sequence to six matches ahead of their departure for a training camp in Austria.

Latte Lath returns to Europe after difficult MLS spell

Latte Lath was developed in Atalanta’s academy and made his senior debut in an Italian cup match in August 2016. The Bergamo club subsequently sent the attacker on a lengthy series of loans across Italy.

His European breakthrough arrived with Swiss side St. Gallen during the 2022/23 campaign. Latte Lath registered 14 goals and four assists in 31 league appearances, convincing Middlesbrough to sign him for approximately €7m.

The Ivorian quickly established himself as an important Championship goalscorer. He scored 29 goals in 67 competitive appearances for Middlesbrough, including 27 tallies across 59 league fixtures.

Atlanta then paid an MLS-record package reportedly worth just under €21m to sign Latte Lath in February 2025. The forward initially received a contract through 2028 with an option for another year.

His move to the United States did not develop as hoped. Latte Lath registered seven goals during his first MLS season before contributing only two goals and one assist in 14 league appearances this year.

He ultimately lost his regular starting place, while his estimated market value fell from €18m to approximately €10m. Union will hope that a return to European football enables the striker to recover the form displayed in Switzerland and England.

Statements on Latte Lath’s signing

“Emmanuel has worked his way to a high level step by step and demonstrated his quality in different countries,” Union managing director Horst Heldt noted in a club statement. “With his pace, mentality and instinct for goal, he fits the profile we were searching for in our attack.”

“The discussions with Union were very positive from the beginning,” the player himself added. “The Bundesliga is a major challenge that I am really looking forward to. I want to use the opportunity to prove myself at this level and help the team with my qualities.”

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p style=”font-weight:400″>GGFN | Peter Weis