BOTH Chelsea and Manchester United are keen to sign former Barcelona star Martin Braithwaite.
The clubs are battling it out to bring the Espanyol striker to the Premier League in desperate need to bolster their frontline.
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The January transfer window comes to an end on Thursday, February 1 at 11pm.
And Braithwaite – who off the pitch, is a successful businessman with a £216m empire – could end up being a last-minute signing to make his way to the Premier League this month.
The 32-year-old is the top scorer in the Spanish second division this season with 11 goals.
Espanyol currently sits third in the table and are in the fight for an immediate promotion back to La Liga.
However, an unusual detail in the striker’s contract means Chelsea and United are keen on signing him this summer.
He currently has a £6million release clause in his contract, which expires next summer.
But should Espanyol get promoted, he will be able to leave for free.
If the club remains in the second tier the forward will be worth £500,000.
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Espanyol at the moment at fifth in La Liga 2 and are in line for a promotion play-off at the end of the season.
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag needs to add firepower upfront after Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund have failed to impress this term.
The Blues’ transition period is still causing inconsistent results in the squad after Mauricio Pochettino‘s goalless 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Friday.
And for the chance of Braithwaite to make his Denmark’s Euro 2024 squad he will need to secure top-flight football.
The Dane was at Barcelona for two-and-a-half years, scoring ten goals in 58 games.
But he was released by the Catalan giants after he reportedly refused to have his contract mutually terminated, leading to claims he held Barca to “ransom”.
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