£9m Middlesbrough deal proved a waste of money and took a bizarre turn | OneFootball

Martin Braithwaite flopped at Middlesbrough but he would later go on to join FC Barcelona

The summer of 2017 was a busy month for Middlesbrough as they made a number of signings in a bid to earn an immediate return to the Premier League, but as we all know, that didn't quite work out.

Boro had been relegated after finishing 19th in the 2016/17 Premier League, but armed with parachute payments, they were determined to splash the cash and return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Their summer spending spree saw the likes of Britt Assombalonga, Darren Randolph, Ashley Fletcher and Braithwaite brought in for sizeable fees, and they were understandably tipped for promotion.

However, a number of these summer deals failed to live up to expectations, and Braithwaite endured a torrid time at the Riverside Stadium.

£9million Martin Braithwaite deal proved a waste of money for Middlesbrough

Danish striker Braithwaite was brought to the club for a huge £9million fee in July 2017 after four impressive seasons in France with Toulouse, and after bagging 11 goals in Ligue 1 during the 2016/17 campaign, it looked a coup for Boro.

It highlighted the strength of the Championship that a side in England's second tier could recruit a player who had scored double figures in the French top-flight the previous season, and it was clear that the Danish international had ambitions of playing in the Premier League.

However, Braithwaite was unable to make a big difference, and after just five goals in 19 Championship appearances, he returned to France in January 2018, signing a short-term loan deal with Bordeaux.

It's fair to say that the Boro faithful expected better given the money they had spent on him, and after missing out on promotion during the 2017/18 campaign, Braithwaite returned from his loan spell ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

However, things didn't get much better for him at the Riverside, and he scored just three league goals in 17 appearances before leaving the club on loan for La Liga side Leganes, a move he'd make permanent in the summer, bringing down the curtain on his time with Boro.

In total, Braithwaite played 40 games for Boro in all competitions, scoring just nine goals, working out as £1million per goal.

It's fair to say that Braithwaite failed to live up to expectations in England, but his career was about to get a lot stranger.

Martin Braithwaite signed for FC Barcelona just months after leaving Boro

Braithwaite completed a permanent exit from Middlesbrough in July 2019, and by February 2020 he'd signed for Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs on the planet.

The Danish international had performed relatively well for Leganes during the first half of the season, scoring six league goals, and after an injury crisis, Barcelona triggered his release clause to sign him in February 2020, after the transfer window had closed.

It's fair to say it was something of a surprise for Boro fans to see Braithwaite rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lionel Messi after flattering to deceive in the Championship, and it's certainly a move that not many would have seen coming.

He spent the next two-and-half years with Barça, playing 58 games and scoring ten goals - more than he managed for Boro - before joining city rivals Espanyol in September 2022.

He had an impressive goalscoring return with the Barcelona-based side, bagging 32 goals in 78 appearances, and he departed in the summer of 2024, with another surprise move.

He joined Brazilian outfit Gremio, and despite now being 33, he's impressed with nine goals in 22 appearances, showing he's still capable of finding the back of the net.

The only club where Braithwaite has struggled is Boro, quite ironic when you think of some of the clubs he's played for.