Termination of Barcelona striker’s contract will save club €7 million annually

With just a few days until the transfer window comes to a close, Barcelona are working ’round the clock to finalise their squad by the end of the month.

The potential departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the club’s pursuit of fullbacks have mainly dominated the news over the past week. But another priority for Barça in this final week could be the sale of Martin Braithwaite.

The former Toulouse frontman has been trailing in the pecking order since the turn of the year and has virtually no prospect of becoming a first-team option for Xavi in the new season.

With that in mind, Barcelona are desperate to get rid of him by the end of the month. The player, though, has refused to consider other offers, which has compelled the club to consider terminating his contract.

According to Marca, Braithwaite is asking for a fee of around €5 million from Barcelona and a freedom letter that could help him quickly facilitate a transfer elsewhere.

The striker currently earns around €2.5 million a year, which makes him one of the least paid individuals in the first team. But that has not deterred him from staying at Camp Nou, as it appears the player wants to exact revenge on Barcelona for supposedly mistreating him.

The report from Marca further speculates that the contract termination of Braithwaite could save Barcelona more than €7 million. Most of that figure could come from the two-year salary cost of the player, while an additional €3 million can be gained through amortization.

However, Braithwaite is expected to ask for a fortune if Barcelona truly intend to terminate his contract. That amount will have to be deducted from the overall amount Barça are poised to save, should they release the Dane in this final week of the transfer market.

At the end of the day, a lot could depend on how well Barça negotiate with Ali Dursun, his notorious agent who has left a representative in the city, to discuss the potential future of the frontman.