USMNT prospect Konrad de la Fuente could be on the move this summer, with Ligue 1 side Marseille reportedly holding talks with Barcelona over a transfer for the 19-year-old American winger.
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According to a report from ESPN, Marseille are interested in an initial loan deal with an option to eventually make the transfer permanent. The permanent fee is expected to be in the neighborhood of $6 million for a player who made his Barcelona debut, in the UEFA Champions League, last season.
De la Fuente does, however, still await his first-team La Liga debut. He has been in the Barcelona system ever since joining the club in 2013. De la Fuente made his USMNT debut last November, when the Yanks played friendlies against Wales and Panama, both games in Europe.
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Marseille manager Jorge Sampaoli is said to have even spoken with De la Fuente directly as part of the club’s plan to woo him east across the Mediterranean Sea. Marseille is currently owned by American businessman Frank McCourt, paving the presumed path for the arrival(s) of American talent for last season’s 5th-place finishers in Ligue 1.
While De la Fuente appeared to be on the brink of breaking into the first team last season, the subsequent arrival of Sergio Aguero and the expected arrival of Memphis Depay would seem to indicate that playing time could be even more sparse next season, making De la Fuente’s desire for a transfer all the more urgent.