BRADENTON, Fla. — Emmanuel Latte Lath has a list of goals, handwritten on a piece of white paper, that he looks at every morning.
He won’t yet share what he wrote for this season, but he said he’s never failed to cross everything off the lists he has compiled ahead of each season since he turned pro at 18 years old. When the season’s done, he said he’ll gladly share if he was successful.
Those goals, started last year when Latte Lath, 26, was at Middlesbrough in England’s Championship, will continue at Atlanta United into its coming MLS season. Latte Lath was purchased last week by Atlanta United for $22 million, an MLS record.
“It’s important because when you wake up in the morning, you will just read them every time, and they give you more motivation to go to training,” Latte Lath said in an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Latte Lath scored 11 goals for Middlesbrough. He hinted that he’s almost halfway toward one of his goals.
Latte Lath can continue his work when Atlanta United’s season starts Feb. 22 against Montreal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Latte Lath is waiting on the approval of his visa before he can start training with the club. The groin injury he sustained at Middlesbrough has healed.
Sitting in a booth warmed by the sun in the lobby of a hotel at IMG Academy, with some of his teammates playing Uno on the patio behind him, Latte Lath talked about his excitement joining the squad and how impressed he was by Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the team’s training ground, which he saw for the first time last week.
It is Latte Lath’s first time in America. He said he and his wife had always talked about coming here on vacation.
“Life is really strange; now we’re here,” he said.
Latte Lath said he hadn’t watched MLS before Atlanta United approached him, but he’s excited about discovering everything within the league. He wants to score goals. He wants to win trophies. Sporting Director Chris Henderson shared the team’s goals and how Latte Lath would be used. Latte Lath’s main attribute is his speed. He said he’s never been clocked, but agreed that he’s fast enough.
Put Latte Lath and wingers Miguel Almiron and Saba Lobjanidze together and Henderson said there’s so much potential because of their abilities to drive with the ball at defenders, or to run into the spaces behind or between defenders. Those skills can result in defenders making mistakes.
“He does all of that,” Henderson said.
Latte Lath, who grew up watching fellow Ivory Coast player Didier Drogba, offers more than just speed. Henderson said that he reminds him of former Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez because both have great balance and an ability to remain composed with the ball to beat a defender and then successfully take a difficult shot.
“I like how he can change a game in a second,” Henderson said. “He gets in front of goal, and he’s very smooth.”
The record transfer fee spent and his role as a Designated Player don’t pressure Latte Lath. He said he developed character by taking care of himself during his various loans when he was at his first club Atalanta.
Part of that character development is setting and achieving the goals written on the piece of paper.
“I can improve, and I can do better,” he said. “What do you want for your life? What do you want to gain? I think I have big potential. I can do a lot more.”
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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 1 at Charlotte, 2 p.m., Apple, Fox
March 8 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 16 vs. Miami, 7 p.m., Apple
March 22 at Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m., Apple
March 29 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 5 vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 12 vs. New England, 2:30 p.m., Apple, Fox
April 19 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 26 at Orlando, 7 p.m., Apple, FOX
May 3 vs. Nashville, 2:30 p.m., Apple, Fox
May 10 at Chicago, 2:30 p.m., Apple
May 14 at Austin, 8:30 p.m., Apple
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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