Martin Brathwaite is on the verge of signing for Barcelona in an emergency deal sanctioned by La Liga.
Over the last few weeks the Catalan giants have lost both Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele to what are essentially season-ending injuries and they asked Spain’s top-flight for special dispensation to sign a new striker.
28-year-old Braithwaite is their emergency man.
The former Middlesbrough striker currently plays in La Liga for struggling Leganes but the Danish international has a release clause of $21.6 million in his contract and Barca have reportedly triggered.
Multiple reports state that Braithwate will travel to Barcelona on Tuesday to complete the shock move with his agent already in talks to seal the deal.
Why Braithwaite? Barcelona probably only got the ruling from La Liga to sign an ’emergency striker’ if he wasn’t a superstar who would cost $150 million. Also, La Liga rules state the emergency signing has to already be registered in Spain or a free agent.
We are outside of the transfer window and this move is incredibly controversial as emergency signings are usually only made available outside of the transfer window if it involves a goalkeeper.
This is a head scratcher.
Have Barca not got enough attacking midfielders to play one of them in attack? Are there really no players from Barcelona B who can be promoted to the first team?
Barcelona’s La Liga rivals will not be happy about this. Braithwaite is not able to be registered for the Champions League but he could have a big impact in the tight title race in Spain as Quique Setien’s team currently sit in second place, one point behind leaders Real Madrid.
Braithwaite has hardly been prolific during his time at Leganes (eight goal in 20 games), but that is a much better record compared to when he played for Middlesbrough in the Championship nine goal in 40 games). Setien and Barca’s recruitment team have obviously seen that he can help out the team to hold up the ball and give them a Plan B in games.
If this move goes through you just know Braithwaite is going to score the goal which wins Barcelona the La Liga title. You just know that is going to happen.
