West Ham were close to sealing £18m move for Barcelona star – Should they go back in?

Why West Ham should reignite their interest in Martin Braithwaite

Back in August, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo (h/t Daily Express) reported that West Ham were in advanced negotiations with Barcelona over a potential deal for Danish forward Martin Braithwaite. The report further claimed that the 29-year-old was closing in on an £18million move to East London but nothing came to fruition.

Profile

Martin Braithwaite started his professional career with Esbjerg in his native Denmark, scoring 19 goals in 97 appearances across all competitions. He then moved abroad with French top-flight club Toulouse in the summer of 2013 and went on to register an impressive tally of 40 goals and 15 assists in 149 appearances over the course of four seasons.

The 29-year-old joined Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship in 2017 and scored 5 times in 19 league appearances before joining Bordeaux on loan for the latter half of the 2017-18 campaign. He returned to the Riverside Stadium in the following summer but departed on loan once again in January 2019, this time to Leganes in the La Liga. 

Braithwaite eventually completed a permanent move to Leganes and went on to register 13 goals and 8 assists in 48 appearances across competitions before switching boats to join Barcelona in January 2020. The Dane has only played a bit-part role for the Catalan giants so far, scoring only once in 14 outings.

Braithwaite would be a quality addition to West Ham’s attack

Michail Antonio topped the scoring charts at the London Stadium last season with 10 goals and 3 assists in 24 PL appearances. The 30-year-old has continued to fire on all cylinders this term, finding the net thrice in 7 league outings for the Hammers so far.

However, question marks continue to linger over the credentials of Sebastien Haller. The Frenchman struggled last term, scoring just 7 times in the PL, and has slipped down the pecking order under David Moyes this season. Haller has found his involvement restricted to just cameos in the league, meaning West Ham need to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later.

Suffice to say, West Ham need another out-and-out striker to compete with Antonio for the No.9 role and complement in-form star Jarrod Bowen. And reigniting interest in Martin Braithwaite could solve that issue for Moyes.

The vastly-experienced Danish international is a centre-forward by trade but has often been utilised in a wide attacking role and also as a supporting striker throughout his career. Such a trait of versatility would definitely hand a boost to West Ham’s dynamics, especially with Felipe Anderson no longer in the mix.

Read More

• Why West Ham should reignite their interest in Olivier Ntcham
• Why West Ham should reignite interest in Serhou Guirassy in January

Verdict

Martin Braithwaite might not be among the most prolific strikers in Europe but he could still be a handy addition to West Ham’s forward line given his versatility and past experience in English football. The Dane still has a lot to offer at 29 and the Hammers should definitely make a renewed attempt to sign him in January in a bid to add more depth and variety to their attack.