MLS should be Konrad's floor, and maybe a decent Euro side (though probably not Barca) will be his ceiling.
I like that, sub-basement. Realistically, and barring debilitating injuries, we should feel disappointed if Konrad winds up in MLS in at any time within the next 12 years. But I've also learned with so many other players that nothing is written in stone. His time with Barca B will give us a better picture of where he'll wind up.
Barca always promotes from their academy. Some years more than others. Here is a list of who-is-who that came from their youth teams. https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-barcelona/jugendarbeit/verein/131
🔵🔴 Convocatòria OFICIAL Barça B:#ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/o7pdAyd2ot— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) December 15, 2019
🔵🔴 XI OFICIAL del Barça B: pic.twitter.com/gQ9v8RG3CO— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) December 15, 2019 Start
Woah...that's an abrupt rise from the U-19s to starting for the reserves. Are they dealing with lots of injuries or something?
Hit's the post! Gets himself in a great position at the top of the box, great touch and almost buries it home. Unlucky
It's common for the top prospects of Juvenil A to start transitioning to Barcelona B mid year. Based on what Konrad has done so far, he is following a very well trod developmental path. Writeup with highlights from Barca's official site: https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/futbo...242/barca-b-la-nucia-premio-al-buen-juego-3-1
Does Barcelona B signify anything? Does it generally correlate to a floor career in MLS/B2/Championship or is that too high?
I'm looking at their 2015-16 squad right now. Going in order in terms of number of appearances, and considering only players who started at least half of their games, the players are now at: Tenerife (La Liga 2) Hacken (Allsvenskan) Celta Vigo B (Spanish 3rd) Leganes (La Liga) Jagiellonia (Ekstraklasa) Vissel Kobe (J-League) Real Betis (La Liga) Saint-Etienne (Ligue 1) Girona (La Liga 2) Levante B (Spanish 3rd) Out of contract - last at Lugo (La Liga 2) Twente (Eredivisie) Fuerza Amarilla (Ecuador Serie A) Racing Santander (La Liga 2) Benfica (Liga NOS)
It's too high. Using Transfermarkt values as a general gauge: (lowest in MLS this season was 16-17) Hacken - 12 Santander - 11 Celta Vigo B - 5 Levante B - 4 Fuerza - 3 Out of contract - virtually 0 Most of the rest are bottom to middle of MLS. and fwiw, De La Fuente is far from established there, if that's the implication when it comes to NT prospects in the interim, future, comparable club career to players in our pool, etc. We have a ways to go from multiple perspectives. At the very least would need to be a standout against this competition, probably more. Barcelona in all likelihood wouldn't give him a bridge. Maybe he'd be the one getting loaned to a Leganes or at least Twente, and we'd have to see if he belongs there, like w/ Shaq Moore or Novakovich.
Let's be clear, I'm not advocating for Konrad at all but I think he's one of the first guys we've had at Barca, which I believe was the most successful academy program in the world. Tells you just how hard it is to break through anywhere.
Yup which is why there’s no reason to think DLF should be expected to have a better career than someone like Busio or Aaronson. He starting to play against lesser competition in Liga3, but is in a better environment. Either way it’s too early to tell until he goes on loan at some point (hopefully).
According to @martinezferran, Konrad De La Fuente has rejected Barça’s renewal offer and could leave in January already.. https://t.co/ZxqOuIMjfG— La Masia (@Youngcules) December 23, 2019
As a general rule, players should always take advantage of their negotiating opportunities, either to get a better deal where they currently are (Barca) or explore greener pastures (?). Naturally, I'm very curious about what those greener pastures might be, because (to an outsider) Barca seems particularly green (for a younger, still-developing player).
U.S. youth Konrad De La Fuente stalls Barcelona talks, wants to join Klinsmann - Sources Lots of juicy stuff here https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.es...-wants-to-join-klinsmann-sources?platform=amp
Stay at Barcelona. He’s not good enough for regular bundesliga minutes and would be playing in the German 4th tier. So, stay and work your way in Barca B.
At least we now know why he was with neither the B team nor Juveniles. I think he sees his U20 team mates playing first team or sniffing first team minutes and wants some of that. Maybe Klinsi promised him a chance. According to the Spanish source article, the contract offer was three years. Two with the B team and the third with the first team. I can’t blame 18 year old Konrad for rejecting that offer. From Barça’s perspective they probably think it’s every boys dream to have an offer of a chance dangled in front of him to be paid in two years. Konrad probably has an accelerated timeline in mind and doesn’t care if it is in a lesser league/club.
From what I've seen from Konrad, he thrives when the game is open and the play is vertical. In the youth league game vs. BVB, he struggled to influence the game when Barca had long spells of possession, but was immediately threatening once the game was in transition. That style of play is rewarded more in the Bundesliga and we've seen young players with little to no first team minutes come in and have some success the past few seasons: - Javairo Dilrosun (Man City to Hertha) - pacy winger who loves to go at players similar to Konrad - Jadon Sancho (Man City to BVB) - obviously not suggesting that Konrad is anywhere near Sancho's level of talent - Rabbi Matondo (Man City to Schalke) - another pacy winger - Reiss Nelson (Arsenal to Hoffenheim) - had a strong loan spell before going back to the PL