Barcelona complete shock deal for former Middlesbrough flop

Barcelona have announced the shock arrival of Martin Braithwaite from Leganes in a deal worth €18m (£15.1m).

Braithwaite has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Barcelona with a release clause of €300m (£251m).

Barcelona have utilised a LaLiga ruling that permits Spanish teams to sign a new player outside of the transfer window as cover for an injured squad member.

Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for six months with a hamstring tear at the start of February and now Barcelona have prised Braithwaite from LaLiga strugglers Leganes.

The ruling has sparked controversy, as Leganes, who are second from bottom in LaLiga, can not sign a replacement for their top goal scorer.

Braithwaite has scored a third of Leganes' league goals this season (6/18) and departs less than 12 months after signing for the club on a permanent basis.

It caps a remarkable career path for the 28-year-old, who was playing in the Championship with Middlesbrough at the beginning of last season.