Middlesbrough could be set to receive a financial boost if Spanish giants Barcelona manage to complete the signing of Martin Braithwaite from Leganes, according to Teesside Live.

Braithwaite only left Middlesbrough on a permanent basis in the summer, making the move to Leganes and bringing to an end his unsuccessful spell with Boro, which had seen him struggle to really make an impression at the Riverside, since he arrived from Ligue 1 side Toulouse in the summer of 2017.

The attacker made 19 appearances in the Championship in the 2017/18 season and scored five goals in the first half of that term, before being sent out loan to Bordeaux in the winter window - and a similar situation happened last season, which saw him make just 17 appearances, before he was sent out on loan to Leganes for the second half of the campaign.

QUIZ: Can you name these 15 Middlesbrough players by looking at their previous clubs?

The 28-year-old, though, has managed to get his career back on track with Leganes this term, managing to register six league goals, which could be enough to see him make the move to Barcelona who have been granted permission to sign him outside of the transfer window as a replacement for the injured Ousmane Dembele – and Boro could be set to receive between 10% and 25% of any fee.

The verdict

This would be a surprise boost for Middlesbrough ahead of the summer transfer window, with Jonathan Woodgate’s side potentially receiving more money to potentially add to their summer budget and invest in the squad in the areas that they feel they need to strengthen.

Braithwaite’s time at the Riverside was largely unsuccessful, but he does deserve some credit for getting his career back on track this season following his permanent switch to Leganes, and he was always a player full of ability and potential even when things were not working out with Boro.

However, few would have predicted when he left in the summer that the forward would be on the move to Barcelona before he had even completed a full season with Leganes, but the forward’s form, coupled with the Spanish giants’ injury issues, could well be set to make such a move happen.

Middlesbrough will be hopeful that the move does get completed so that they can get what would be a real boost to their finances, as they continue to re-structure the club’s finances since they were relegated from the Premier League.