The mass exodus of Barcelona's misfiring stars looks set to continue with striker Martin Braithwaite the next player nearing the Camp Nou exit, as the Catalan giants have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement with West Ham over the Danish forward.
However, Braithwaite is rumoured to have asked for some extra time to mull over his future, as though the offer from West Ham is firm, the Hammers are not his preferred destination.
This is due to rumoured interest from Tottenham, though a move that sees Braithwaite swap Barcelona for North London can only occur if Harry Kane calls time on his Spurs career.
Martin Braithwaite is reportedly keen on a move to Tottenham over West Ham (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) ( Image:
Alex Caparros)
Kane has been linked with a move away all summer, specifically to Manchester City, in a deal that would leave Spurs short in terms of striking options.
As a result, if Kane were to leave, newly appointed Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is keen on adding two new forwards to replace him.
Braithwaite has been identified as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy, the 30-year-old impressing the Tottenham hierarchy with his performances for Denmark at Euro 2020.
Barcelona are thought to be desperate to shift Braithwaite's wages off of the books given they dire financial situation the Catalan giants find themselves in.
Should Kane up sticks to Manchester, it could prove to be a bitter blow for David Moyes' West Ham side who were reportedly at an advanced stage in a move for Braithwaite which was set to cost the East London outfit £12.8m.
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West Ham have agreed a fee with Barcelona for Martin Braithwaite (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) ( Image:
Alex Caparros)
West Ham are starved of out and out strikers, Michael Antonio remains their primary goal threat, particularly now that last season's loan star Jesse Lingard has since returned to parent club Manchester United.
Identifying Braithwaite as a potential replacement for Kane has certainly raised eyebrows among the Tottenham faithful, given that the Denmark international has only ever reached double figures for goals in a league season twice in his entire career.
Kane is expected to return to Spurs training this week with a view to feature in Tottenham's opening game of the 2021/22 season, after there was some dispute over allegations Kane had refused to train in a bid to force through a move to Man City.
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