Martin Braithwaite wants to buy Espanyol. (Image: Getty)
Martin Braithwaite left Espanyol upon the expiry of his contract earlier this summer, but it reportedly might not be the last the Spanish club see of him in the near future. After walking away from the Barcelona-based outfit on poor terms with the ownership, Braithwaite is claimed to be weighing up an incredible takeover.
The 33-year-old joined Espanyol in the summer of 2022 after his release from Barcelona, accumulating 78 appearances for the club during his two-year spell.
However, his relationship with the Periquitos’ owners started on a downward spiral last summer when he was reportedly denied a transfer to a first-division club.
Espanyol were in the second tier of Spanish football, and Branthwaite was eyeing a return to the top flight to give himself a fighting chance of making Denmark’s squad for Euro 2024.
Danish boss Kasper Hjulmand was said to have informed him that he wouldn’t be in contention to participate in Germany if he remained in La Liga 2, but he was denied an exit.
Braithwaite helped Espanyol return to La Liga last season, scoring 22 goals in 39 games, but his comments in the aftermath made it clear that all wasn’t well behind the scenes.
On the day of their promotion, he left his future up in the air by admitting that he had been insulted by the terms on offer to extend his contract the summer before.
“Now we have to enjoy it and see what happens in the future. I don’t know anything. I’ll talk about it in the next few days,” Braithwaite said amid the celebrations.
Martin Braithwaite’s Espanyol contract expired. (Image: Getty)
“A year ago, the club offered me a renewal, but it was disrespectful. Let’s see if they want me to stay here because the offer I received a year ago shows that they don’t trust me.”
Braithwaite ultimately couldn’t accept a new deal and became a free agent when his release clause expired on July 15, later joining Brazilian side Gremio.
But he is reportedly plotting a sensational return to Espanyol as the club’s new owner to add to his multiple business ventures.
According to Marca, Braithwaite is currently doing the math as he weighs up a move to become Espanyol’s majority shareholder.
While spending the twilight years of his playing career in Brazil, the former Middlesbrough striker wants to level up his standing in the business world by purchasing his previous club.
Braithwaite is one of the richest footballers in the world, according to Forbes, and boasts a £250million fortune, primarily thanks to his investment in a real estate business in 2017.
Braithwaite reportedly joined forces with his brother Philip Michael to invest £617,000 into NYCE Companies in the United States, with their stake claimed to have reached an eye-watering £180m.
On top of that project – offering affordable housing in historically black neighbourhoods – he owns Trente, a women’s clothing line, and Gava, a high-end restaurant in Barcelona, with his entrepreneur wife, Anne-Laure.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1932011/Championship-Martin-Braithwaite-Espanyol-Middlesbrough-La-Liga