Premier League pair Everton or West Ham United could reportedly raid La Liga champions Barcelona for Camp Nou newcomer Martin Braithwaite.
Martin Braithwaite is already facing an uncertain future at Barcelona, with Sport claiming that Everton and West Ham United are keen to hand the Denmark striker the chance to cut short his Camp Nou spell.
Eyebrows were raised all over European football when a man who left Middlesbrough under a cloud as recently as 2019 rocked up in Catalonia.
With their attacking options decimated by an injury crisis, Barca were given special dispensation to snatch Braithwaite from La Liga rivals Leganes, outside the transfer window to boot.
If this felt like a short-term quick fix, that’s because it probably was.
Sport claims that Quique Setien’s side are already planning to sell Braithwaite on during the summer, with his £16 million price-tag likely to see the reigning Spanish champions recoup most if not all of their investment.
Everton and West Ham are interested, Sport adds, with the Toffees and the Hammers seemingly happy to overlook the 28-year-old’s rather forgettable spell in the Championship under Tony Pulis.
“The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship,” former Middlesbrough boss Pulis told the Gazette after Braithwaite forced a move away from the Riverside.
“To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to (owner) Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing.”
Braithwaite’s attitude might have left Pulis fuming but there is a reason why Barcelona decided to put their faith in him over a host of other options, and not just because he was available on the cheap.
A versatile and technically gifted forward who can play anywhere across the front three, Braithwaite was undoubtedly Leganes’ star performer in the first half of the season even if his influence didn’t really translate into goals.
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