Catalan giants Barcelona are reportedly weighing up loaning out Sergino Dest, with a suitor unlikely to shell out €20 million on the American defender.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will look to ship Sergino Dest out on loan in the ongoing transfer window if a suitor does not sign him permanently. The Catalan giants want to recoup €20 million by selling the American defender, but a permanent exit might not be possible this summer.
Sergino Dest would have had a lot of aspirations when he completed a dream move from Ajax to FC Barcelona two years ago. The USMNT international enjoyed a decent debut season, with Ronald Koeman making him the first-choice right-back for the Blaugrana in the 2021/22 campaign.
But Dest’s stock has fallen rapidly since Xavi Hernandez took charge from Koeman last year. And the 21-year-old has hit rock bottom at the onset of the 2022/23 season, as he failed to impress Xavi during Barcelona’s pre-season campaign, with the manager omitting him from the matchday squads for the two games thus far.
With Sergi Roberto a bit-part player and Dani Alves no longer at the club, Dest’s predicament is a damning indictment of how far he has fallen at Camp Nou, as Xavi does not have a recognised right-back at his disposal. And while recent reports claimed Manchester United had inched closer to signing Dest, the Barcelona outcast is yet to find a solution to his woes.
Dest has previously shown the determination to remain at the Catalan club beyond the summer transfer window. But with Barcelona still in the market for a right-back, offloading the 21-year-old defender is the best way for them to bring in a signing while registering him in La Liga.
But no suitor has come up with a bid matching Barcelona’s asking price, worth €20 million. The Catalan giants want to recoup the sum from his sale but are making peace with the idea of possibly loaning Dest for the 2022/23 season to get him off their books.
It will be interesting to see if Barcelona’s openness to loaning the American defender compels clubs to launch the offensive to sign Dest. But a permanent exit in a €20 million deal looks unlikely for Dest, who faces an uncertain future at Camp Nou this summer.
