Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined West Ham United in the race to sign Martin Braithwaite from Barcelona this summer.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to be linked with a move for Martin Braithwaite. The Lilywhites are set to battle London rivals West Ham United in pursuit of the Danish international, who could leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
Braithwaite joined Barcelona from Leganes in February 2020, owing to a bizarre rule wherein a La Liga club can make a signing outside of the transfer window. Since then, the 30-year-old has played second fiddle to the primary attacking options at Camp Nou, sufficing with rare starts as well as a few appearances off the bench.
To date, Braithwaite has made 53 appearances for Barcelona, chipping in with eight goals and four assists along the way. And this summer, he impressed while on Denmark duty at UEFA Euro 2020, playing a key role as they reached the semi-finals. At club level, though, the Dane is starting at an uncertain future at Barcelona, who have deemed him to be surplus to requirements.
However, despite his precarious situation at Camp Nou, Braithwaite has no shortage of suitors in the transfer market. In particular, two London giants are keen on signing him, with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United looking to swoop him away from Barcelona.
Tottenham are in the market for at least one striker this summer following their decision to not sign Carlos Vinicius on a permanent deal. That has left Nuno Espirito Santo with Harry Kane as the only natural striker at his disposal. With Kane’s own future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being up in the air, Spurs could well end up signing two strikers, with .
To that end, the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Dusan Vlahovic and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been linked with the Lilywhites this summer. Braithwaite, though, could be an option to come in for Vinicius, although a move for the Barcelona forward depends on the future of Kane. As for West Ham, their eagerness to sign a striker is understandable as well.
While Michail Antonio has been nothing short of a revelation since being installed in the role of a striker full time, it is important to note that West Ham are yet to replace Sebastien Haller. As a result, it is not hard to see why Braithwaite is viewed as a target this summer.
In fact, West Ham already have a preliminary agreement secured with Barcelona for Braithwaite. However, the entry of Tottenham is complicating matters for both Barcelona and the Hammers, with the 30-year-old preferring a move to north London instead. What now remains to be seen is if Spurs even make a move for the Dane. If not, he could well be on his way to West Ham instead.
