La Masia product not giving up on Barcelona return: Every kid’s dream’

La Masia product not giving up on Barcelona return: Every kid’s dream’ Once considered a potential long-term replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Diego Kochen’s chapter at Barcelona took a turn when he decided to leave the club on loan, in favour of a loan move to Denmark. Kochen joined Lyngby on a season-long loan deal and has found great success, having established himself as a first-team regular for the Danish team. Despite his success, Kochen has admitted he has not given up on his Barcelona dream. Diego Kochen open to Barcelona return In an interview with Goal, Kochen was asked about the possibility of returning to Barcelona and fighting for his place in the first-team. Kochen wants to succeed at Barcelona.. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images) The American made clear that a return remains very much one of his long-term ambitions, even as he focuses on his loan spell. “I have my long-term goals. Right now I’m on loan at Lyngby and one of them is to compete as much as possible and give everything for this club,” he said (h/t SPORT ). “But I come from Barcelona, so being able to return would be every kid’s dream: to go back to such a big club and have an opportunity there. That’s also one of my goals,” he added. The goalkeeper, who joined Barcelona in 2019 and rose through La Masia to become a backup in the senior squad, reflected fondly on his time at the club. He never played an official match for the first team but cherished the experiences, none more so than the title celebrations. “The parade with the Barça first team after winning the championship. It was crazy to see the whole city out,” he recalled. A valuable education at La Masia Kochen is expected to return to Barcelona at the end of the season. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) Kochen was also glowing about the footballing education he received at Barcelona, crediting the environment for his development. “It’s very competitive from a very young age. You have to fight for a single position and learn the values of competition very early on,” he said. The 20-year-old admitted he was constantly in awe of the talent around him. “When you start moving up the ranks and see the individual quality of players like Lamine, Raphinha, or all those footballers, you’re impressed all over again. It never ceases to amaze you.” “There is no better environment to learn in. I try to take things from everyone because you can learn from absolutely anyone,” he said. While his immediate focus remains on earning minutes at Lyngby and continuing his progress with the United States national team , a return to Barcelona clearly remains firmly on his horizon.