Middlesbrough paid £9m for transfer flop - He’s now worth £250m | OneFootball

Martin Braithwaite's time at Middlesbrough didn't work out but he is now worth £250 million regardless

Martin Braithwaite was unable to live up to the £9 million fee Middlesbrough paid to sign him in the summer of 2017 but he is now worth £250 million due to his successful business ventures.

It was reported by Sky Sports in 2017 that a deal worth £9 million brought the forward to the Riverside as they prepared for life back in the Championship.

Garry Monk had been appointed as manager with the goal of guiding the Teesside outfit back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The club’s one-year stint back in the top flight was unsuccessful, with the team coming 19th in the table with just 28 points to their name.

It was hoped that Braithwaite would arrive and help power the team to the Premier League again, but his two years with the club proved very underwhelming, and he failed to live up to the major price tag attached with his signing.

Martin Braithwaite’s underwhelming Middlesbrough stint

Braithwaite made the switch to Middlesbrough from Toulouse following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

Despite the big money spent, and the high expectations from being a prolific goalscorer in Ligue 1, it took just six months before the forward was loaned out to French side Bordeaux.

Braithwaite scored five goals in 19 appearances in the Championship during the 2017/18 season, with the team failing to gain promotion with a play-off loss to Aston Villa.

The now 34-year-old wasn’t involved in the semi-final clash as he was in France, and he again went out on loan during the following term after he made just 17 league appearances in the first half of the season.

He joined Leganes, having scored just three goals from those 17 games, and he ultimately remained with the Spanish side by agreeing a permanent deal in 2019.

While Middlesbrough continued to fight for promotion unsuccessfully in the Championship, the Danish international eventually went on to sign for Barcelona in a remarkable twist.

Braithwaite spent 18 months with the Catalan giants, contributing five goals from 44 La Liga appearances before moving to rivals Espanyol. Notably, the 69-cap Danish international scored three UEFA Champions League goals during the 2020/21 campaign and has rediscovered his goalscoring touch in the latter stages of his career, though it was all-too-invisible throughout his stay in the North East.

The striker moved away from Europe in 2024 to join Brazilian outfit Gremio and has now amassed a wealth that could prove more valuable than any contract he signed during his time as a player.

Martin Braithwaite’s successful business ventures

It has been reported that Braithwaite is now looking to purchase his former club Espanyol with the money he has earned through his property investments.

It’s been claimed that his biggest success has come from his ownership of property in the US, which has helped him build a net worth of £250 million.

While he is still plying his trade in Brazilian football with Gremio, the reality is that he could retire tomorrow from the money he’s made outside of the game.

His time at Middlesbrough will feel like a distant memory now with his success off the pitch, which will help him transition away from his career as a player.

Braithwaite’s investment career actually began back in 2017, around the time of his move to the Riverside, with an initial payment of £617,000, which he has been able to turn into a fortune worth £250 million.