Danish striker Martin Braithwaite, best known for his stint with La Liga giants FC Barcelona from 2020 to 2022, could become the club owner of his former team very soon.
The 33-year-old is considering a bid to purchase a majority stake at Spanish club RCD Espanyol, where he recently played from 2022 to 2024 and departed less than a month ago.
Braithwaite bought himself out of his contract with the club on July 15 after feeling disrespected by the club’s less-than-ideal contract offer ahead of the 2023-24 season, following their relegation from La Liga to Spain's second-tier Segunda División.
"A year ago the club offered me a renewal, but it was disrespectful. Let's see if they want me to stay here because the offer I received a year ago shows that they don't trust me," the Esbjerg native said.
The winger then signed with Brazilian club Grêmio on July 22 and has since expressed a desire to get rid of the current owners at Espanyol.
Braithwaite publicly clashed with Espanyol's clubs owner, Chinese businessman Chen Yansheng, and its management Rastar Group after they blocked his move to a first division team last summer.
This situation ultimately cost Braithwaite the chance to represent Denmark at the UEFA Euro 2024, as the country’s former coach, Kasper Hjulmand, informed him that playing in the second tier would reduce his chances of being included in the national team squad.
RCD Espanyol has since been promoted back to La Liga in the upcoming season after finishing fourth in the Segunda Division in 2023-24, with Braithwaite scoring 22 goals in 31 appearances.
Martin Braithwaite Is One Of The Richest Football Players In The World
Braithwaite is among the wealthiest football players on the planet, boasting a net worth of over £250 million ($287 million) thanks to his investments in American real estate.
The former FC Barcelona player earned only £20,000 ($25,000) per week with Espanyol during the 2023-24 season, but he earns massive money through his partnership stake in the real estate investment platform NYCE Companies with his uncle Philip Michael.
According to Crunchbase, NYCE Companies is a New York-based fintech firm that owns, manages, and operates real estate properties. They currently own 1,500 properties with another 500 on the way.
Braithwaite began his business journey in 2017 with an initial investment of around £617,000 ($850,000). By the end of the year, this had grown to £7.2 million and has continued to explode in the subsequent years.
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