Barcelona’s signing of Danish forward, Martin Braithwaite from Leganes in February raised a few eyebrows as he isn’t quite the type of player one normally associates with the La Liga champions.
The 29-year-old is neither flashy nor full of skills, if anything, he is a workhorse who is always willing to give him all whenever called upon.
Now, why did Barcelona sign someone like Braithwaite, that too outside the transfer window? The answer is simple, the Catalan giants were in the midst of a mini injury crisis in February.
Luis Suarez was already on the sidelines, with Barcelona also losing Ousmane Dembele to a long-term injury.
As a result, Barcelona was granted an emergency exception to sign Dembele’s replacement outside the transfer window, and the Blaugrana exercised it to trigger Martin Braithwaite‘s release clause of €18 million at Leganes.
The Catalan outfit were ridiculed from some corners for signing Braithwaite, while a section of the Barcelona fans too didn’t seem quite enthused at the prospect of seeing the Dane turn out for their beloved club.
The former Middlesbrough man took everything in his stride and started answering the critics through his actions on the field.
Martin Braithwaite’s dedication deserves special mention
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Martin Braithwaite explained that he still watches Barcelona videos to have a better understanding of their style of play, with the forward specially focussed on Lionel Messi‘s moves.
The former Leganes man insisted that he believes in himself and that he is determined to stay at the Camp Nou for long.
Braithwaite also has a mental coach to help him stay grounded and motivated, and it should also be remembered that as a kid, the Denmark international spent two years in a wheelchair after an accident.
His dedication to remain and make a mark at Barcelona is exemplary and he truly deserves credit for that.
Martin Braithwaite’s performances in a Barcelona shirt
Just two days after signing for the club, Martin Braithwaite made his Barcelona debut in their 5-0 triumph over Eibar.
The 29-year-old came on as a 72nd-minute substitute and showed glimpses of his quality in the brief time he was on the pitch. The new Barcelona recruit had a hand in the Catalan giants’ final two goals.
His second Barcelona appearance came against Real Madrid; coming on as a late substitute yet again, Braithwaite failed to make any meaningful contributions as the La Liga champions slumped to a 2-0 loss in the Clasico.
HE made another brief cameo in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in March before the league was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona’s first La Liga clash after the COVID-19-enforced break was against Real Mallorca last week.
It was a joyous occasion for the Barcelona faithful as they would see their beloved team back in action after three months, albeit from the comforts of their drawing rooms.
It was a big moment for Martin Braithwaite too, as he made his first start in Barcelona colours.
The Dane not only lasted the full 90 minutes but he also marked the occasion by netting his first goal for the Catalan giants.
He broke the deadlock in the 37th minute of the game after latching onto a pass from Lionel Messi as Barcelona comfortably beat Mallorca 4-0.
He could have scored another after being on the receiving end of a visionary through ball from Messi, but Braithwaite failed to add to his tally.
The game against Mallorca showed why Braithwaite just might be the perfect signing for Quique Setien’s side.
The forward might not be on the same level as the likes of Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann in terms of quality, but he is someone who possesses tactical intelligence, great pace and most importantly, he is good at making off-the-ball runs into the box.
On analysing his performance at the Son Moix, Braithwaite was often deprived of possession but he still managed to open up spaces for his teammates with his intelligent movements.
He would provide Barcelona with some much-needed vertical movements which the team often lacked this season.
Martin Braithwaite was rested for Barcelona’s next game against his former club, Leganes, with the Catalans winning the contest 2-0.
The Dane made his second start for Barcelona against Sevilla on Friday night but he was largely ineffective in the goalless draw and was substituted in favour of Arthur Melo in the 63rd minute.
Although the jury’s still out on the Denmark international, it’s safe to say that the forward is not the one to easily give up.
He will huff and puff his way through criticism to make a name for himself at Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. Martin Braithwaite may not be the striker Barcelona wanted, but he’s definitely the striker Barcelona needed.
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