According to a recent report by The Daily Mail, West Ham United are ready to launch an offer to bring Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite to the London Stadium this summer. However, the same source has also mentioned that the Hammers will face stiff competition from Everton in pursuit of the La Liga goal-getter during the summer transfer window.
Braithwaite’s Rollercoaster Of A Season In Spanish Football
The Catalans signed the Danish striker from Leganes in an emergency £15m deal back in February. Since joining the Nou Camp, he has gone on to make three appearances in the La Liga, receiving a total of 128 minutes of playing time without scoring. However, Braithwaite had enjoyed a decent goal-scoring record at Leganes where he registered ten goals and eight assists in 43 league matches which could have been one of the main reasons why Quique Setien decided to bring him to Catalonia.
However, it doesn’t seem like he has a long-term future at Barcelona, so a summer switch to the English capital could be a welcome change for Braithwaite at this stage of his playing career. The Danish marksman has averaged 1.7 shots, 0.3 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game in the three La Liga matches he has featured for Barca this season (stats via whoscored). As evident from his stats, he excels at getting shots in at goal and is also not shy of making some penetrative runs with the ball in the final third.
The 28-year-old has also earned 39 senior caps for the Denmark national team and has seven goals to show for his efforts. Braithwaite will be expected to play a crucial role for his nation in the UEFA European Championship which will now kick-off in the summer of 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Will The European Sensation Add To Moyes’ Team?
Braithwaite is a moderately-paced forward who can make some driving runs to stretch the opposition defence on the break. He works hard in making himself a useful presence in the final third and usually tests the opposition keeper with his shot attempts. However, the Danish centre-forward needs to add a few more goals to his game if he wants to take his game to the next level. The talented striker can use his body to shield the ball when he gets isolated inside the opposition penalty box.
A promising forward such as Braithwaite will undeniably be a massive coup for the Hammers if they intend to challenge for one of the top six places in the Premier League in the coming years. He will add some much-needed goal-threat to David Moyes’ frontline that has often lacked consistency in terms of goal-scoring this season. The likes of Sebastien Haller, Michail Antonio and Albian Ajeti have all struggled to bang in the goals for West Ham so far. Therefore, Braithwaite will be a significant upgrade over any of them as he has the potential to get into double figures every season as far as scoring goals are concerned.
However, the Danish striker might find it challenging to cope with the physicality and high intensity of English football if he decides to complete a switch to East London this summer.
