Unless you’re a real connoisseur of La Liga, the chances are you won’t have heard of Martin Braithwaite. Well, you will soon enough.

This 27-year-old Dane is currently playing his trade at La Liga side Leganes, on loan from English Championship club, Middlesbrough.

A forward and/or winger by trade, Braithwaite has already made a name for himself in Spain thanks to goals against Real Madrid and Barcelona within his first four games for his new club.

Opposition players rarely manage the feat in the same season, if ever, so it’s no wonder that the Dane is making waves.

Having played in the World Cup for his country, one might expect Braithwaite to be a household name by now, but his career to this point has been fairly unremarkable, with all due respect.

A professional start and four-year career at Esbjerg fB in Denmark was followed with a move to Toulouse and another, more successful, four-year stint.

Never prolific as such, his goals-to-games ratio of one in four was acceptable, and it led to Garry Monk dipping into Middlesbrough’s coffers to the tune of £9 million in the summer of 2017, signing Braithwaite to a four-year deal.

His first goal arrived soon after and his old school forward play meant that the fans at the Riverside quickly took him to their hearts. 

However, in the very next transfer window, he was loaned to Bordeaux for the rest of the campaign by new manager, Tony Pulis.

Returning last summer, Braithwaite quickly made it clear to Pulis that he wanted to play in Spain. A move never materialized and to his credit, the player knuckled down, aware that a consistently high level of performance would land him the switch he desired.

He got his wish in January, with Leganes the grateful recipient of a player that is no respecter of reputations and plays with no fear.

One only needs to see the way in which Braithwaite bullied the likes of World Cup winners Raphael Varane and Gerard Pique to know that he has a future in La Liga if his current and parent club can agree on a fee.

At a time when transfer prices are through the roof, it’s comforting to see that there are still bargains to be had.

Leganes best act quickly, because Braithwaite could become a household name before long.

Jason Pettigrove is an experienced freelance football journalist, editor, and published author who specializes in La Liga and the major European leagues. Find him on Twitter @jasonpettigrove.