Chelsea are reportedly ready to rekindle their interest in Barcelona defender Sergino Dest and could make a player-plus-cash offer for the right-back.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have reignited their pursuit of Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest ahead of the summer transfer window and could consider making a player-plus-cash offer for the USMNT star.
Dest has been with Barcelona since 2020 when he joined from Dutch giants AFC Ajax. However, the 21-year-old has been unable to nail down the starting berth for himself at Camp Nou. While he featured regularly in his debut season, the right-back fell behind veteran star Dani Alves in the pecking order this past campaign.
Considering that Barcelona are planning to sign a new right-back this summer and are set to extend the contracts of Sergi Roberto and Alves, Dest’s prospects of playing regularly are unlikely to improve, and the young right-back could be on the move in the summer. And Chelsea are hoping to capitalise on the situation by offering him a way out of Camp Nou.
Chelsea had been linked with a move for Dest during the January transfer window, with the Blues monitoring his progress since his days at Ajax. However, a move did not materialise in the winter. But, manager Thomas Tuchel is ready to go back for the 21-year-old in the upcoming transfer window as Chelsea look to add another wing-back to their roster.
Reece James is the undisputed first-choice starter at right wing-back for Chelsea. However, as far as backup go, the Blues do not have a lot of options apart from captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who is pushing to join Barcelona this summer. Hence, a move to sign Dest would make sense for the west London outfit, considering that he can fill in at left wing-back as well.
Chelsea have Ben Chilwell as their starting option on the left side, but Marcos Alonso is likely to move on this summer, having reportedly agreed a three-year contract with Barcelona. So, signing Dest in the summer would provide Chelsea with cover on both flanks. To that end, the Blues are considering making a player-plus-cash offer for the USMNT star.
Given Barcelona’s interest in both Azpilicueta and Alonso and their poor financial situation, Chelsea could look to offer either of the two defenders to the Catalans as part of the deal to sign Dest in the summer. It will be interesting to see if such a move materialises this summer or whether Chelsea have to look elsewhere to bolster their wing-back slots.