"Not something I am thinking about" - Out-of-favor Barcelona striker suggests he has no intention of sealing Camp Nou exit

Despite slipping down the pecking order, Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite has ruled out a premature exit from the club. The striker has expressed his desire to see out his contract with the Blaugrana, which runs until the summer of 2024.

Martin Braithwaite joined the Camp Nou outfit from Leganes for an €18million fee in the winter of 2020. He featured in 11 games in his debut campaign in La Liga, scoring only once.

The Denmark international’s best run came a season later, in 2020-21, when he scored thrice and provided two assists in six Champions League appearances. In La Liga, however, his struggles continued, with the striker only scoring twice in 29 appearances in the 2020-21 season.

New Barcelona manager Xavi has not shown faith in the forward, with him playing only 10 minutes so far under the Spaniard. Xavi has even gone ahead and asked Braithwaite to look for a new club, proving that he isn’t in his plans for next season. Yet, despite falling comprehensively out of favor in the Catalonian capital, Braithwaite remains eager to see out his contract.

When asked about a possible summer exit, the Danish forward told TV2 (via Barca Blaugranes):

“It’s not something I am thinking about. I have two years remaining on my contract in Barcelona. In football, you never know what can happen, but I’m very calm on the matter.”

Revealing what he would do to get more minutes under his belt next season, Braithwaite said"

“I want to work hard. That’s what it’s all about. I can not control anything else. Then we have to see what happens.”

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Martin Braithwaite high salary at Barcelona making it difficult to find suitors

Martin Braithwaite played only 10 minutes of football in 2022 and things are unlikely to change for the better in the 2022-23 season. Yet, the player remains determined to stay put and the club cannot find clubs willing to take him out of their hands. As per Sport (via Barca Universal), Braithwaite’s relatively high salary is the reason why Barca are having difficulty finalizing a transfer.

The player currently earns €4 million per year with the Blaugrana, which is considerably higher than what other clubs are willing to pay for him. Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in the player but are being discouraged by his wage demands. The Seagulls reportedly tried to sign the player in January as well, but his salary turned out to be a deal-breaker.