Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite has reportedly refused to leave the club on a free transfer unless the Blaugrana pay him out of the rest of his contract – leaving the club in financial limbo after making various multi-million-pound signings over the summer.
With their financial worries being well documented, many have been perplexed to see Xavi’s men take up the signings of Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Franck Kessie over the past six months.
The Spanish giants have reportedly refused to pay Frenkie de Jong the £14m he took in deferrals to help the club’s books during the pandemic ahead of a proposed move to Manchester United, and it appears they are forcing other players out who remain surplus to requirements.
Yet according to Sport (as relayed by the Daily Mail), Braithwaite is refusing to listen to club chiefs over an agreed pay package – with the Dane set to collect the final two years of his wage at the Nou Camp.
With a contract that runs until 2024, the infamous emergency signing from Leganes will undoubtedly be on a bigger wage than the one he was earning at the Madrid-based club, and likely will earn for the rest of his career.
After being offered a ‘letter of freedom’ that would allow the striker to decide his future, this was swiftly rejected as he remained defiant he would not be forced out of the club over the summer.
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Essentially fifth-choice striker behind Lewandowski, Aubameyang, Torres and want-away striker Memphis Depay, it would be surprising to see if Braithwaite would make more than the measly five appearances he made last season.
And club chiefs are reportedly displeased with the manner of their players for refusing to bow to their demands.