Ex-Barcelona star worth £250m who played as ‘hobby’ set to buy former club who ‘disrespected’ him – weeks after leaving

FORMER Barcelona star Martin Braithwaite is reportedly considering a takeover of Espanyol after being “disrespected” by the club.

The striker departed the Spanish club earlier this summer despite helping them achieve promotion to LaLiga.

Braithwaite joined Espanyol in 2022 but wanted to leave last year to play first division football.

But he was denied a move and was then offered what he felt was a derisory new contract, before paying up a release clause in his contract to allow him to sign for Gremio.

According to Marca the Dane is now working out whether he can afford to buy Espanyol, having shared his frustration with how he was treated.

Braithwaite said: “Now we have to enjoy it and see what happens in the future. I don’t know anything, I’ll talk about it in the next few days.

“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.”

Braithwaite, 33, is one of the richest footballers in the world and he boasts a £250million fortune.

His wealth is mainly thanks to his investment in a real estate business in 2017 that offers affordable housing in historically black neighbourhoods.

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The striker also owns a clothing line as well as a high-end restaurant in Barcelona with entrepreneur wife Anne-Laure.

Braithwaite and his brother Philip Michael invested £617,00 into NYCE Companies in the US, with their stake now said to be worth a staggering £180m.