The clock is ticking and there are now just days left in the January transfer window.

Middlesbrough have completed their fourth signing of the window with the impressive loan capture of goalkeeper Mark Travers from Bournemouth. But the big question still rumbling on is the future of Emmanuel Latte Lath and whether he stays at Boro or leaves, amid an offer from MLS side Atlanta United.

Teesside Live has been told he's not highly likely to remain at Boro beyond this window, with the move Stateside looking increasingly unlikely. While his injury status remains unknown after he went off early in the defeat to Preston North End, the summer transfer window is evidence enough that a last-minute mega bid from a Premier League club could not be completely ruled out.

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Boro have lined up potential replacements - one of which emerged in the form of Slovakian striker David Strelec this week. However, it would be a huge boost to Boro's play-off chances if they can keep hold of the Ivorian.

That's certainly the view of our Boro fan panel, as we asked them this week: This late in the window, would you still allow Latte Lath to leave? Our panel this week consists of Youtuber and talkSport journalist Phil Spencer, Boro Breakdown co-host Dana Malt, Boropolis co-founder Chris Cassidy and Twe12th Man member John Donovan.

Phil Spencer

With time ticking down in the transfer window I'm starting to think that keeping Emmanuel Latte Lath would be for the best. Atlanta's bid has been on the table for a while now and he's clearly not convinced by the move, while substantial interest from the Premier League or elsewhere is not forthcoming.

As days disappear it also leaves us in an increasingly tricky position when it comes to potentially replacing Latte Lath if he leaves. With the top six in our sights, we simply can't afford to lose such a vital striker and not replace him with a suitable player who can immediately hit the ground running.

With both of those things combined, I think that keeping Latte Lath would be for the the best. As long as he's not sulking or unhappy about missing out on a move, Latte Lath can have a big role to play between now and the end of the season.

The worst-case scenario is coming out of January with just Tommy Conway as a natural striker, or signing someone who will need 6-12 months to get up to speed. Let's keep Latte Lath at the club - even if we promise he can go in the summer - as replacing a goalscorer with as much quality as him is incredibly difficult, particularly with just a few days to do it.

Dana Malt

If we weren’t five days away from the close of the window, then I’d sell Latte Lath and reinvest. He’s probably our biggest asset right now given the interest in him, and the money received would go a long way in strengthening the squad.

But it’s January 29th. The window closes on February 3rd. It just doesn’t make sense to let him go now. As much as Atlanta fans want to curse the skies of Middlesbrough that the club are ‘holding the deal up’, they probably aren’t aware that Boro don’t have a fit striker right now. Or that they’d have under a week to sign Manu’s replacement.

Latte Lath’s commitment to the cause has never been questioned, even with his failed move to Ipswich in the summer. He’s always given a lot in games, so I don’t see any reason why that would change should another move not materialise.

It’s a tricky position Boro are in, but I’d love to see Latte Lath stay. He’s perfect for this team and the team is perfect for him. I hope he remains at the club, finishes the season strong, and finds his move in the summer.

John Donovan

In an ideal world, I'd like Latte Lath to remain at the Boro and help us achieve top six, and then score the winner at Wembley! Then, his and our Premier League aspirations will have been achieved.

But it's not an ideal world, and all clubs work within PSR rules, and Gibbo more than anyone will be keen not to fall foul of them, especially after his legal battles with teams that did. The money for Latte Lath will help finance deals that will fill up our squad defincies and make us stronger. So it's a tough call.

I'm not sure that he sees the MLS as his footballing destination despite the wealth offered. If he wanted to go there, I'm sure a deal would have been done by now. And as he is now injured, that throws things up in the air.

I was convinced he would leave this window, but now, who knows. Boro have already invested in Morgan Whitaker, George Edmunson and a couple of youngsters and have loan deals lined up, which will be costly. The number crunchers at the club will be working hard, until the deadline, to make sure we get the best out of what's left on the magic money tree.

Chris Cassidy

At the beginning of the month, I said the January transfer window could be a success for Middlesbrough even if they do nothing. Truthfully, the sentiment behind that comment was more so in relation to potential exits.

We now know Ben Doak will see out the season on loan, and Boro have absolutely improved their squad by adding Ryan Giles, Morgan Whittaker and Mark Travers. I think the club has actually exceeded expectations. I do worry that if Boro were to sell Emmanuel Latte Lath now, they’d undo a lot of the great work they’ve managed already.

Given the club’s Championship status, any crazy offer for the striker would have to be considered, but Boro have already strengthened in the majority of the positions they need to. Financially speaking, it’s unlikely our asset will depreciate in value, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Ivorian increase his price tag with a strong second half of the season.

At this point in the window I’m struggling to see any benefits to cashing in on Latte Lath, so I think it’s in Boro’s best interests to stand firm and trust the squad they’ve already built.

As well as hearing their views on particular Boro topics on Teesside Live each week, you can also hear from them further on their respective platforms. Phil Spencer runs his own Youtube channel which you can subscribe to here. Dana Malt is part of the Boro Breakdown Podcast, Chris Cassidy is part of the Boropolis Podcast, and John Donovan is part of the Twe12th Man Podcast, all of which you can listen to on all major podcast outlets.