Marseille emerge as frontrunners to sign a promising Barcelona forward | OneFootball

Barcelona may be on the verge of selling current prospect and versatile forward Konrad de la Fuente.

According to a report from the Spanish-based station RAC 1 (via Mundo Deportivo), Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille has emerged as the frontrunner to sign the American winger.

The Catalan giants are well open to offloading De la Fuente this summer on either a mere €5 million deal or a loan move, although club officials do want to include a buyback option in any transfer for the talent.

While Marseille stands as the top contender to sign the coveted La Liga prospect, it is currently not known whether the French side will face competition from other clubs for his signature.

New Barca president Joan Laporta aspires to complete any such deal for the 19-year-old ahead of June 30 as the club aims to haul in much-needed revenue for the current financial year.

While Barca manager Ronald Koeman shelled out La Liga appearances to multiple youngsters this past season, De la Fuente failed to earn his fair share of critical first-team minutes over the campaign.

De la Fuente spent much of last season with Barca B as he wound up totaling for a mere 36 minutes played in all competitions with the first-team, which included a 10-minute cameo against Ferencvarosi TC in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

A move to Marseille may be just what De la Fuente needs at this stage in his career, as another season at Barca B would only stagnate his development as a forward.

De la Fuente is well ready to prove his worth at a club like Marseille, and playing under manager Jorge Sampaoli could also do wonders for his career.