U.S. teen star De la Fuente signs new Barcelona contract

U.S. Under-20 men's national team star Konrad de la Fuente has signed a new deal with Barcelona as he commits his future to the Spanish giants.

De la Fuente's new deal will run through 2022 - including the option of a further two years - with the winger set to make the permanent leap to Barcelona B next season, having started this season with the U-19s.

The 18-year-old winger has played five games with Barca B so far, scoring one goal - a stoppage-time game-winner in a February win over AE Prat.

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De La Fuente and Barca B could be playing in the Spanish second division next season if the club secures promotion from the third tier in July.

Under the terms of the new deal, De la Fuente will have a release clause of €50 million ($57m/£45.5m) while he remains with Barca B, with that fee rising to €100 million ($114m/£91m) if he makes the leap up to the first team.

Konrad signed his new contract at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, alongside Barca B director Xavier Vilajoana and technical secretary Eric Abidal.

"I am very happy to continue in the best club in the world," the winger said in a statement. "It has always been my dream to play in the first team and that is why I want to stay here to try to achieve it.

"The first objective now is to move up with Barca B to Segunda A."

The news comes in the wake of links to a move away from Barcelona, with the winger heavily linked with a move to Hertha Berlin earlier this year.

De la Fuente, who was born in Miami to Haitian parents, joined La Masia in 2014 and has risen through the club's youth ranks in recent seasons.

The 18-year-old was the second-youngest member of the U.S. U-20 team that participated in the U-20 World Cup in 2019, where he played alongside players like Sergino Dest, Timothy Weah and Ulysses Llanez.

In the end, the U.S. fell to Ecuador in the quarter-final round following a round of 16 victory over highly-favoured France, with De la Fuente starting all five matches in the tournament.