Barcelona are reportedly plotting to use Sergino Dest as a makeweight in their bid to sign Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland in the summer.
According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona are ready to step up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and are prepared to trade Sergino Dest to lower his asking price next summer.
Haaland has established himself as one of the best strikers in the game since his move to Dortmund two years ago from RB Salzburg back in January 2020. The 21-year-old Norwegian international is on the transfer wishlist of almost every top club across Europe heading into the summer as his €75 million release clause is set to come into effect.
However, the overall cost of signing the centre-forward could go much higher than that due to the massive wages he would command and the agent commission for Mino Raiola. The report indicates that the entire operation could end up costing interested parties around €300 million mark.
Barcelona are among the clubs that are seriously pursuing the signing of the Dortmund hitman. The Catalan giants’ president, Joan Laporta, is intent on making a marquee addition to the squad in the summer to go toe-to-toe with arch-rivals Real Madrid, who are set to sign Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer.
However, considering the club’s poor financial health, shelling out such large sums would be out of the question for the Blaugrana. So, they are now hoping to bring down Haaland’s asking price by offering Sergino Dest to Dortmund as part of the deal to land the Norwegian international.
Dest is currently in his second season with the La Liga heavyweights but has failed to nail down a place in the starting XI. Having failed to make much of an impression on new manager Xavi Hernandez over the past couple of months, the 21-year-old is among the players that Barcelona are ready to cash in on at the earliest opportunity.
Dortmund’s arch-rivals, Bayern Munich, have been credited with a serious interest in the USMNT right-back, while Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the ex-Ajax starlet of late. However, Barcelona might hold on to the 21-year-old till the end of the season and then use him as a sweetener in their bid to sign Haaland.
Dortmund could do with an attack-minded right-back like Dest, considering that Thomas Meunier has been largely inconsistent since arriving at the club. So, it will certainly be interesting to see if the Black and Yellows are willing to work out an arrangement with Barcelona for the USMNT star, which could lower the asking price for Haaland in the summer.
