Speaking in an interview with Tot Costa on Cat Radio, Espanyol striker Martin Braithwaite paid tribute to his former Barcelona teammate, Ousmane Dembele.
The 31-year-old Denmark international left the Blaugrana last summer, opting to join local rivals Espanyol after negotiating the termination of his contract with Xavi Hernandez’s side.
Braithwaite did not leave Barcelona on the fray as he was at odds with the fans as well as the club due to his reluctance to leave after being told he was no longer part of the squad.
While things have soured between player and club, Braithwaite still holds great respect for his former teammates, singing on Ousmane Dembele, even stating that the winger could be a bigger difference-maker for Barcelona than Robert Lewandowski.
“Dembele is very good. I love him so much. He has a great talent. I’ve never seen someone as talented as this boy. Leo Messi is another thing, but after him I haven’t seen any player like Dembele. The boy is special.”
“Dembele’s individual talent has a greater impact than that of a player like Lewandowski, individually. Ousmane is unbelievable. A good player and a good person.”
At the same time, though, Braithwaite also had words of praise for Lewandowski, praising Barcelona’s newcomer nature in front of goals.
“Lewandowski scores a lot of goals, I’m happy for him, he’s a great professional. I wish him all the best to have a very good season, but now I’m looking forward to winning at Espanyol.”
Braithwaite joined Barcelona from Leganes in February 2020 as an emergency signing after a string of injuries at the Camp Nou. He made 58 matches with the Blaugrana, in which he scored ten goals. Since joining Espanyol, he has already scored once on his debut.