Barcelona 'very hurt' by the attitude of 31-year-old star who is refusing to leave the club: Reports

Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite has refused to comply with the club and has decided to stay at the Nou Camp for the remainder of his contract. The Catalans are no longer interested in keeping him on their books but the player has refused to walk away from the club.

Mundo Deportivo reported that the attitude of the Denmark international has upset the hierarchy at Barcelona who are 'very hurt' by his reluctance to leave. Xavi Hernandez is determined to bolster his squad in multiple positions before the new campaign begins and equip the team with stars who can help challenge for major silverware.

This process demands a clearout and many names are expected to leave the Nou Camp in the process. While the likes of Luuk de Jong and Adama Traore have returned to their parent clubs after their loan deals expired, Barcelona have informed the likes of Oscar Mingueza, Samuel Umtiti, Rique Puig and Clement Lenglet that they are surplus to requirements.

The list also included Braithwaite, who was informed that he is not a part of Xavi Hernandez's plans for the future. While others have accepted the decision and are looking for moves away from the club, the 31-year old forward has not.

Braithwaite was on the sidelines with injury troubles for a significant spell last season. Though he regained fitness and returned to the squad, he was overlooked by Xavi throughout the campaign. The striker only made five appearances in the 2021-22 season, picking up less than 250 minutes of action.

Barcelona striker still very much an important part of the national team

With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar approaching, every player is making sure they get plenty of game time to stay in the best shape and cement their spot in the national sides. Martin Braithwaite, however, seems to be an exception in this case. Knowing fully well that staying at Barcelona will mean hardly any game time, he is still adamant to continue.

Despite hardly seeing any on-field action against the Blaugrana, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand still selected him for the UEFA Nations League matches this month.

Speaking on to TV 2 Sport (via MARCA), the Barcelona forward said he was grateful for the opportunity to represent his national team.

"I've played more in these four games than in the whole season there [at Barcelona]. It's been fantastic and I'm very happy with the confidence Kasper has given me. I was well aware that I couldn't count on coming in and starting every game, but I knew that in training and in the limited minutes I had, I had to convince Hjulmand that I was fit.I am insanely happy, and insanely grateful for the trust they [Denmark's coaching staff] have given me," Braithwaite said.