Martin Braithwaite may have been signed-in the attack as an emergency response to Barcelona’s injury issues, but the Dane has long wanted to stick around.
The 28-year-old, who joined Leganes at the end of February, signed a contract that lasts until the summer of 2024 but is hopeful that after his current deal he will be playing for Barcelona.
“I’m sure for more than four and a half years I’m going to stay. That’s how I see it in my head,” he told ESPN.
“I just want to go out and play with this team right now, enjoy and win titles because that’s what I was brought here to do.
“At Barcelona, I’m looking at all the great players who have played here, and all the times they’ve had some of the greatest games, and one of my aspirations is to be able to say that I’ve played on one of the best sides of a generation in Barcelona.”
Barcelona paid Leganes the EUR 18 million minimum fee release clause for Braithwaite, which did not go well with the Madrid-based club as it left them with no opportunity to sign a replacement during a relegation battle.
“I can’t speak Leganes high enough,” Braithwaite said.
“It was very unique for me and the way they handled me when I had to leave.” You can leave with mixed emotions sometimes when you leave a club, but they have completely understood me.
“They told me this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and so I had to take it.” Of course, they thought it wasn’t fair they couldn’t go out and find a substitute, which I understand, but they were still good to me at the end of the day.
