Braithwaite sums up Bartomeu’s Barcelona mismanagement
FT Desk
- 1 Sept 2022 23:14 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona are slowly coming out of a financial crisis that was the making of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, with the decision to release Martin Braithwaite from his contract their latest step away from that era.
Braithwaite was only signed by Barcelona as a panic buy. The Denmark international forward arrived at the club as an emergency signing in February 2020 when they were battling a chronic injury list.
It was an opportunity that he could not turn down. Having spent his career at many of the game’s lesser lights, Braithwaite understandably jumped at the chance to move to Camp Nou, with Leganes powerless to stop one of their best players leaving as Barca matched his €18 million release clause.
It was the type of deal that Barcelona would not have done had they not been under duress, yet the money they poured into the move was remarkable, particularly given that they were tying themselves to a player who they would not normally have considered for five years.
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Braithwaite at Barcelona
Braithwaite did not disgrace himself at Barcelona, but he certainly did not feature prominently in their thinking beyond those heady first weeks at the club. He played 58 times in total and scored 10 goals in an 18-month spell at the club, but it’s hard to argue that he proved value for money.
Indeed, he started only 22 times in all competitions and played 90 minutes on just 11 occasions. Furthermore, he only netted five goals in La Liga.
| Cost per... | Low estimate (€m) | High estimate (€m) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | 0.44 | 0.51 |
| Start | 1.15 | 1.34 |
| Goal | 2.55 | 2.95 |
| Goal or assist | 1.7 | 1.97 |
His cost to Barcelona in the meantime was significant. On top of the €18m transfer fee, he recouped an estimated €7.5m in wages over the course of his 18 months at Camp Nou. Furthermore, he also reportedly wanted a payoff by Barca to terminate his contract three years earlier. The suggestion was that this demand was set around €4m, though it is unclear if Braithwaite got his wish.
At the very least, though, his Barcelona stay cost the club €25.5m, possibly as much as €29.5m.
In the best case for Barca, this works out as €2.5m per goal or more than €1m per start.
This was the type of short-term thinking on the part of Bartomeu and the club that dragged them into the financial misery in which they find themselves presently.
