Barcelona offloads their richest player on deadline day as he joined Barca biggest rival, after contract termination yesterday.
Martin Braithwaite, a striker for Barcelona, left the team after 2.5 years after reaching an agreement to end his contract so he could join Espanyol.
Martin Braithwaite, dubbed the “richest player” at Barcelona, has had his contract canceled in order for him to join Catalan rivals Espanyol.
The Catalan club had been frantically seeking to unload the Danish international before the transfer season closed since he had become a bit role at Camp Nou. A breakthrough was made on the last day when the striker agreed to take a payoff in order to leave.
The striker had two years left on his deal with Barcelona, and as part of the deal that allowed him to become a free agency, a portion of the first of those two remaining seasons would be paid to him. The striker controversially moved to Barcelona from Leganes in February 2020 after a deal was reached outside of the transfer window as a “emergency” signing because of injuries.
The 31-year-old is said to have signed a three-year contract with Espanyol, allowing him to stay in his home region of Catalonia. This season, Girona will join Espanyol as the other Catalan club playing in Spain’s premier division.
One of the most notable aspects of Braithwaite’s time at the Camp Nou was that, when Lionel Messi left the team in the summer of 2021, he had emerged as the first-team squad’s highest-paid player.
Braithwaite was making about £4 million a year in Barcelona, but that sum is insignificant in comparison to the former Middlesbrough striker’s overall net worth. The real estate, fashion, and restaurant sectors all feature prominently in the vast array of investments held by the Danish multinational.
Following Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona in 2020, Forbes explained how the striker rose to the position of richest player at the club.
The majority of Braithwaite’s wealth (£714,298) comes from his interest in the real estate company NYCE, which he runs with his uncle Phillip Michael as a partner.
According to the company’s website, it manages assets worth about £252 million, including a real estate portfolio estimated to be worth about £210 million.
Along with French entrepreneur, writer, and TV personality Anne-Leure Louis, Braithwaite also owns the clothing company “Trente.” His real estate holdings include residences in New York, Philadelphia, Jersey City, and San Antonio. Additionally, the Barcelona-based eatery “Gave” is owned by the striker.
