Omeruo’s teammate completes controversial £16m switch to Barcelona
Kenneth Omeruo’s teammate Martin Braithwaite has completed his £16million move to Barcelona from Leganes.
Barcelona announced the news on Thursday morning and confirmed that the 28-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the club.
The reigning LaLiga champions have also included a ridiculous £250m buy-out clause into his contract, which has become an usual trend with Spanish sides following the £198m departure of Neymar in 2017.
The Danish striker will be unveiled later on in the day where he will be presented to the press at 7.15pm local time.
The Catalan giants were granted permission to sign an emergency striker after being left with just three forward to carry them through to the end of the season – one of which is just 17.
As a result, the Catalan giants have paid Leganes Braithwaite’s release fee of £16m immediately, in order to have him available for the weekend.
The move has left Leganes incensed by the unfair stipulation that they would be unable to bring in a replacement of their own.
Leganes chief Martin Ortega said: ‘We consider that there is a regulation that is unfair, from which Barcelona has benefited. The one who is damaged by this is Leganes’
Barcelona currently have Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez both out injured for the forseeable future.
Dembele has been ruled out of action for six months with a hamstring tear after undergoing surgery in Finland last week while Suarez is unlikely to return this season.
The green light was given to sign Barcelona on Monday morning to sign a replacement after the committee confirmed the injury as a long-term lay-off, which La Liga regulations stipulate as an issue that will keep a player out for at least five months.
📋 This is the schedule for @MartinBraith's presentation as a Barça player:
✍ 6pm: Contract signing
📸 6.45pm: Photo session on the pitch at the Camp Nou.
👋 🏟 7.15pm: Presentation and press conference
📺 Follow live on https://t.co/A1WiJBXvhL pic.twitter.com/sxfnAqOOvn— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 20, 2020
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The Danish striker has netted six goals and provided one assist for struggling Leganes across 24 La Liga appearances this season.
Barcelona welcome Eibar to the Nou Camp on Saturday, when the former Middlesbrough man could make his debut.
Braithwaite scored just nine times in 40 appearances during his two-year stint at Middlesbrough, having joined the club from Ligue 1 side Toulouse in 2017.