Report: Barcelona Closing in on Martin Braithwaite; Deal Could Be Done This Week

Barcelona are reportedly closing in on the signing of Martin Braithwaite as their injury replacement for Ousmane Dembele. 

According to Sport, the Blaugrana have decided to pay the forward's €18 million buyout clause. The deal could be concluded on Tuesday or Wednesday after La Liga gave the club permission to sign cover for Dembele on Monday.

La Liga allows the signing of a replacement player outside the transfer window as cover for a long-term injury. The player has to be a free agent or already registered in Spain, however.

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Braithwaite's agents are said to be negotiating a deal until 2023.

The 28-year-old has scored six goals in La Liga so far this season, leading 19th-placed Leganes in the scoring charts. His last goal came in the 2-2 draw against Real Valladolid on January 3:

He joined Los Pepineros on loan from Middlesbrough in January 2019, and the move was made permanent in the summer. He's also a full Denmark international.

The decision to add Braithwaite is somewhat surprising, with several other options available:

Real Sociedad's Willian Jose seemed a particularly good fit after losing his starting position to the in-form Alexander Isak. Club manager Imanol Alguacil told reporters (h/t AS) the team wouldn't part with him for less than his €70 million release clause, however.

According to Sport, Getafe's Angel Rodriguez has a buyout clause of just €10 million. He was another strong candidate and netted at the Camp Nou in Saturday's 2-1 loss.

The signing of Braithwaite is a controversial one, with Leganes powerless to stop one of their best players from leaving due to a mandatory buyout clause. The club are in the midst of a relegation battle and can't sign a replacement.

Spanish football writers Dermot Corrigan and Colin Millar both thought it a bad look for the league and noted Barcelona put themselves in this position with poor squad planning:

The Catalans parted with prospects Abel Ruiz and Carles Perez in January without signing replacements. Luis Suarez was already sidelined with an injury when those two left, and Dembele has a lengthy injury history that should have made the Blaugrana more cautious.

As a result, Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati are the only remaining true forwards in the squad. Full-back Junior Firpo has provided emergency cover in a more advanced role, but with Jordi Alba suffering an injury against Getafe, he's needed in defence.