U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team prospect Konrad de la Fuente has reportedly been given an ultimatum by La Liga giant Barcelona.
The Catalana club has made De la Fuente an improved contract offer to stay with the Catalan side, but he could be sidelined for the remainder of the season should he not accept, according to ESPN. De la Fuente’s current contract with the club is set to expire this summer.
The defending La Liga winners have upped their offer to an initial salary of €450,000 annually rising to €600,000 over the course of a three-year deal, according to the report.
ESPN reported back in December that De la Fuente was considering a move to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, currently being managed by former USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann. The move to Germany could see De la Fuente have a better chance of earning first-team minutes at the young age of 18.
The winger is currently playing with Barcelona’s U-19 team, scoring four goals and adding two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions. He is recently coming off his first appearance of 2020 this past weekend, scoring as a substitute in a league match against Atletico Villacarlos.
De la Fuente has been with Barcelona since 2014, working through the youth ranks at the club. He’s also earned eight appearances with the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team, appearing in five matches during last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
Should De la Fuente leave the club this June, any suitor would have to pay Barcelona development rights of up to €700,000.
I wish the kid staying Spain, some sort of loan with lower club, like Girona.
Tough to break through directly but there have been direct and indirect routes. Other than Messi. Piquets left as a youth for ManU. Seldom played there and was back at Barcelona. Alba took a similar route. Busquets worked his way through their system. Sergi Roberto did the same. In the joy too distant the past Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Valdes, and others have done it. That said, to do it you better be among the best in the world at your position.
No one from barcelona with the exception of Messi has moved up from academy to first team full minutes at a young age. Barcelona buys stars. He could gamble and stay given they are struggling but everything points to them buying players. I would leave to Bundesliga or erevedise.
Leave barcelona rarely debuts youth that end up moving up from there academy club and move on to playing first team minutes. Messi is the execption. A move anywhere with the promise of minutes will suffice. Erevedise or Bundesliga would be best.
Nayim, Guillermo Amor, Fabregas, Pedro, Victor Valdez, Thiago Motta, Luis Milla, Sergio Busquets, Albert Ferrer, Puyol, Guardiola, Iniesta, Xavi and of course Messi. I’m sure I missed a few less famous. So, is not a rarity if the player is good enough.
If history proves true, half of those guys left the club only to return in later seasons to star for La Blaugrana. Maybe this is Konrad’s path as well. BUT it seems like Bundesliga teams are giving young Yanks a shot to prove themselves and it has worked out well for nearly our whole midfield (Pulisic, Adams, McKinnie and possibly Reyna). You get better by training in pro environments … you get lots better playing in pro environments.