BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona signed Martin Braithwaite from Spanish league rival Leganes on Thursday after being granted special dispensation to bolster its injury-depleted attack.
Barcelona agreed to pay the 18 million euros ($19.4 million) buyout clause in Braithwaite’s contract.
Almost three weeks after the January transfer window closed, the Spanish league gave Barcelona permission to make an emergency signing after it was left without Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele for long periods due to injuries to both attacking players.
However, it left Leganes, a small club from Madrid, without its most talented attacking player as it struggles to rise out of the relegation zone. It already lost striker Youssef En-Nesyri to Sevilla last month.
Leganes chief executive Martin Ortega fumed at the decision to let Barcelona “transfer their problem to another club.”
While most European countries forbid any signing between transfer windows, the Spanish league can grant clubs exemptions in certain cases.
Braithwaite, who has also played for Bordeaux and Toulouse, will not be eligible in the Champions League this season, just La Liga.
It is a rapid rise in club football for the 28-year-old Braithwaite, who featured for Denmark at the 2018 World Cup.
He was playing in English second tier with Middlesbrough during the first half of last season, scoring only three goals in 19 games in all competitions.
He arrived midway through the 2018-19 season at Leganes and helped the club avoid relegation. He has eight goals in 27 appearances for Leganes this season.
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