Barça set to let go of young USMNT prospect

At this stage of his career, what Diego Kochen needs is minutes. Not minutes inside the state-of-the-art Barcelona training ground, surrounded by mannequins of the highest-grade plastic and turf shaved by lasers, but minutes on an actual football pitch, in front of players who hate you, angry men who are trying their best kick a ball past you in exchange for points.

And according to reports, that exactly what Barcelona think, too. ESPN say that Lyngby Boldklub, a Danish club who will play next season in the first division, are “leading the race” to secure his signature for a season-long loan.

Lyngby Boldklub won promotion to the Danish Superliga from the confusingly named Danish 1st Division (tell that to England, where division three is known as League One) and came top of the table. They conceded 33 goals in 32 games with Jonathan Risbjerg Ægidius in goal for 31 of them. But apparently they want more, with the 20-year-old American their decision as they look to survive relegation.

Kochen wants first-team football

Reports add that the player himself is also keen on the move, who is clearly more ambitious than being third-choice in Spain behind both Joan García and Wojciech Szczęsny. He is said to want a team in a league that acts as a shop window for Europe’s top tiers, and US-owned Lyngby Boldklub appear to fit the bill.

Kochen spent his time between the first and second teams last season; while he played 20 times for Barça Atlètic, he did not feature once in any of Hansi Flick’s first team XIs and looks unlikely to do so in the upcoming campaign. While the LaLiga club rate him highly, García’s position is not under threat.

Previous Barcelona goalkeepers, Iñaki Peña (Elche CF), Ander Astralaga (Granada CF), and Áron Yaakobishvili (FC Andorra), all did the same; they are now all playing consistent minutes for other teams across Europe. Kochen is waiting on Barcelona’s green light, and then he’s gone.

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