West Ham United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Martin Braithwaite to the London Stadium this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Spanish publication SPORT (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Norwich City and Brighton & Hove Albion have joined West Ham in the race for the Barcelona centre-forward in the summer transfer market.

It is reported that Ronald Koeman's side are more than happy to move the 30-year-old ahead of next season, following the arrivals of both Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, with Barca hoping to recover the €18m (£15.5m) they paid CD Leganes for the Denmark international in February 2020.

Fans may be relieved

While it is indeed true that David Moyes' side are in desperate need of attacking additions this summer, the fact that a number of fellow Premier League sides are thought to be considering a move for Braithwaite this summer may come as a relief to some of the West Ham fan base.

Indeed, after the news of the Hammers' interest in the striker broke on Twitter, a number of fans shared their displeasure at the idea of their club signing the 30-year-old, with one stating their belief that Braithwaite is "garbage," while another suggested the Barca man is a typical West Ham signing, in that he is "ageing, way past his best and cheap."

It is easy to see why fans may hold this opinion, as the £8.1m-rated man was not in the finest of league form for Barcelona last season.

Over his 29 LaLiga appearances for Koeman's side last term, the centre-forward scored just two goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to missing eight big chances of his own.

These metrics saw the man Tony Pulis dubbed an "exceptional" player earn a disappointing average SofaScore match rating of 6.61, ranking him as Barcelona's worst performer in the top flight of Spanish football.

As such, considering his unconvincing form, as well as the fact he is reported to take home a whopping £105k-per-week at the Catalan club, it is easy to understand West Ham fans' issues with their club pursuing a deal for the forward this summer.

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