West Ham United Made Failed Summer Bid for Barcelona's Martin Braithwaite
Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite was on the brink of a move to Premier League side West Ham United last summer before the transfer collapsed, but the Dane may end his fleeting stay in Catalonia in January.
Braithwaite joined Barcelona following last season's January transfer window as an emergency signing, after the club received special dispensation following long-term injuries to forwards Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.
The former Middlesbrough and Leganes forward made just one start for the club before the coronavirus pandemic halted European football in March. By the time La Liga resumed in June, Suarez had returned to fitness and Braithwaite was afforded just three starts in the remainder of the campaign, scoring one goal.
Barcelona were forced to pay Braithwaite's buyout clause of €18m when they acquired his services in February, agreeing a contract which expires in the summer of 2024. The Blaugrana were looking for a similar fee when he attracted interest in the summer window, with West Ham among his keenest suitors according to the Spanish publication AS.
In fact, Braithwaite was supposedly on the cusp of joining the east London outfit before the deal suddenly collapsed for reasons not yet unearthed.
The club's newly appointed manager Ronald Koeman may have reportedly been keen to keep Braithwaite this summer, but the 29-year-old Denmark international has been linked with a move away this January in order to raise funds for the rekindled pursuit of Lyon's Memphis Depay.
Barcelona's attempts at luring the Dutch international - who enjoyed some of his best football while Koeman was in charge of the national team - to the Camp Nou during the previous window were ultimately blocked by La Liga, as his arrival would have breached the division's salary cap.
However, if Braithwaite can be offloaded at the turn of the year, his departure may free up enough funds to secure Depay, who has refused to rule out a move this winter.