Everton are interested in signing Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite following the end of the season, according to Sport (as translated by Sport Witness), with Carlo Ancelotti set to launch a summer rebuild.
The Denmark international joined Barcelona as an emergency reinforcement in January following a lengthy injury sustained by Ousmane Dembele, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract after Barca paid his €18 million buyout clause at Leganes.
Everton and West Ham have expressed an interest in taking the former Middlesbrough forward off the Catalan giants’ hands, with Ancelotti looking to bolster his options ahead of a heavily anticipated upcoming campaign at Goodison Park.
The recent suspension of all football has made a summer move more difficult, but with the Blues said to be keen, Barcelona will not rule out a potential sale when usual business gets back underway.
Read Everton Verdict
Braithwaite was seen as a shock signing for Barcelona in January by many, such is he not up to the club’s usual extremely high standard, and ultimately he was brought in as Barca needed to increase their numbers in a time of need.
With Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean all fit and available for Everton, while all are 23 years old or younger, the Danish forward certainly isn’t someone who might strengthen Ancelotti’s options in either the short-term or the long-term.
Simply put, Everton don’t need to sign another striker in the summer, unless they decide that Richarlison shouldn’t be playing upfront. In that scenario, with the resources at their disposal, the Blues could do much better than Braithwaite.
Braithwaite could only manage eight goals in 36 Championship appearances for Boro during his spell at the Riverside, and those figures don’t exactly make you believe that he is capable of doing any better in the top flight.
Everton could better spend their limited transfer funds in other areas and on other targets, and they should absolutely not consider a move for Braithwaite in the summer.
