After months making it clear he wanted to leave Middlesbrough (according to Tony Pulis), Martin Braithwaite finally got his wish on Thursday, as his loan to Leganes in Spain was confirmed.
The Denmark international, who had arrived on a permanent transfer from Toulouse back in July 2017 for £10m, had made 17 appearances in the league and scored three goals this season for Boro, but it became clear in recent weeks his future lied elsewhere when he was benched and, at times, left out of the squad entirely, from December 1st onwards.
Already interested last summer, Leganes came back with another attempt ahead of the January window, and a loan was sorted until the end of the season.
There was little detail in Middlesbrough’s statement on the matter, but Leganes’ general director, Martin Ortega, clarified the situation following the deal’s confirmation, relayed by Mundo Deportivo.
He said: “He’s here loaned until June 30th 2019, in principle no option to buy has been set. He came to us interested, and we had contacts with his club in the summer, but it couldn’t be done. This winter window, the opportunity reappeared and we’re very happy that he’s here”.
So, as things stand, Braithwaite is set to return to Riverside at the end of the season, yet Ortega’s ‘in principle’ suggests they might be eyeing a permanent deal down the line, one Middlesbrough and Tony Pulis would probably be thrilled to negotiate.
They might not recoup all of their initial expenditure, but every little helps.
