West Ham summer transfer target Martin Braithwaite could be back on the market in January, according to Spanish newspaper AS [via Sport Witness].
The 29-year-old Danish striker was signed by Barcelona in February as emergency cover for a mini-injury crisis in a deal permitted by La Liga outside of the confines of a normal transfer window. However, Braithwaite has only made 16 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring once.
David Moyes was seemingly keen on bringing the striker to east London and could well go back in for the former Middlesbrough man in January after he gave his own approval for a move away from the Camp Nou.
New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has used Braithwaite just five times this term, amounting to 37 minutes of domestic action.
The report which highlights the potential renewed availability also states just how close the Hammers were to landing their man during the summer, claiming he was ‘about to sign, but the operation broke down without, to this day, the reasons being known.’
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Although currently suffering from a lack of football and therefore a lack of goals, for a club like Barcelona to pay in excess of £16m for Braithwaite, he must have shown a certain level of ability somewhere down the line.
With seven goals in 44 Denmark caps, Braithwaite has never set the world alight in terms of goal returns, highlighted during his spell in English football with Middlesbrough, where he scored just eight goals in 36 Championship outings.
Currently valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, the Danish international presents an affordable and seemingly available option for Moyes to strengthen his attacking depth.
With Michail Antonio sidelined, the Irons were left with Sebastien Haller as their only fit and available out-and-out striker, and he has failed to find the net in his last two starts.
