31-year-old Barcelona striker on Rayo Vallecano radar for the summer

It’s pretty much evident that Martin Braithwaite’s Barcelona days are numbered. Although the 31-year-old’s current deal is valid until 2024, it is believed that he is currently negotiating the termination of his contract.

For now, while there is an unwritten agreement between Barcelona and the striker over the termination, nothing will be made official until the 31-year-old finds himself a new team. 

In this context, there have been reports of interest from Celta de Vigo, Getafe, Al Nassr and Al Shabab, but Spanish news outlet Diario AS has now credited Rayo Vallecano with a strong interest.

At this moment, the team leading the chase is Celta as they have already started their side of negotiation with the player’s representatives.

For now, they are occupied in the release of Denis Suarez or Santi Mina and even if one of them departs, it will leave them enough space to accommodate Braithwaite in the roster as he is being looked upon as a priority target. But if they fail in their pursuit, Real Madrid’s Mariano would be an alternative.

Getafe, meanwhile, have pulled out of the race following the arrival of Borja Mayoral. 

As for Rayo Vallecano, Braithwaite remains one of the several options they are pondering. This includes former Atletico Madrid frontman Diego Costa and even Marcos Andre.

Braithwaite’s departure from Camp Nou is only a matter of weeks as Barcelona are clear about their intentions. However, finding a suitor is proving too difficult as the forward is demanding the rest of the money on the two years left of his deal.

It’s not that Barcelona haven’t received any offers. On the contrary, several La Liga teams have expressed their interest and Barcelona are currently hoping to find a middle ground over the issues. This potentially means they are looking to reduce the money owed to him.

While the operation is very much complicated, one can expect Braithwaite to depart before Barcelona officially start their 2022-23 football season.