According to Marca, Manchester United and Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Espanyol striker Martin Braithwaite. The former Barcelona star could leave for a meagre sum, which could benefit the second-division side now rather than selling him in the summer.
Of late there have been plenty of speculation surrounding the immediate future of Martin Braithwaite over a switch to the Premier League. Arsenal have been linked recently as Mikel Arteta wants a new striker to add to his attacking unit, while others have been eyeing up the 12-goal star from Espanyol.
Braithwaite has had a good season in the Spanish second division, where he is the top scorer. However, Espanyol are not very high up the table, as they languish in fifth place, with a seven-point gap off leaders Leganes. Hence, there are chances that Braithwaite might take the opportunity of joining a Premier League side this month.
Chelsea and Manchester United were offered the striker recently, but nothing has progressed beyond that point until now. The report states the Premier League giants are working on a deal and holding talks with Espanyol to figure out a move. FFP has curtailed the spending of top clubs, which may have forced them towards a cheaper option like Braithwaite.
The two sides are keen on a new attacker to bolster their ranks and might see the value in signing Braithwaite on the cheap in the next few days.
One may feel Braithwaite was pushed out of Barcelona at a time when the Catalans desperately wanted to cull their enormous wage bill. In doing so, they allowed the Dane to join Espanyol on a free transfer, meaning they could make some decent profit if the Spanish second division were to sell him.
As things stand, there’s a release clause in Braithwaite’s contract worth €7 million, but the conditions beyond that could let Chelsea and Manchester United bring the price down. If Espanyol gains promotion, the Dane would be free to leave, although if he stays, he can go for €600,000.
Hence, there’s more financial gain for Espanyol to sell him now rather than in the summer. The chances of interested sides looking to reduce the price tag are high, but in the process of selling Braithwaite, the club might lose their chance of promotion without their top scorer.
