Crystal Palace and West Ham United reportedly are interested in signing 22-year-old Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest.
According to 90min, Crystal Palace and West Ham United are keen on signing Sergino Dest. The 22-year-old has not had the best of times of late, but he is still a highly sought-after player given the potential he has.
Dest joined the Ajax youth academy back in the summer of 2012. He went through the ranks at the Dutch club and became a key part of their first team in no time. The 22-year-old featured in a total of 38 matches and had eight goal contributions for them. His performances for Ajax attracted a lot of attention. And, Barcelona managed to land the American international in 2020 for €21 million plus up to €5 million in add-ons.
While it was a highly-anticipated transfer, things have not gone according to expectations. The 22-year-old failed to make an impression at Barcelona. And Dests was loaned out to AC Milan ahead of the ongoing season.
Dest joined Milan on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy for €20 million. But, it is highly unlikely that they will trigger the buy option given the limited amount of game time the American international has received. He has been on the pitch for just over 600 minutes in his 14 appearances.
The 22-year-old is set to return to his parent club in the summer. And, Barcelona will be looking to offload him given the financial crisis that they are in. The Catalan giants will look to make around €21 million from his sale. Meanwhile, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are two clubs that are keen on his signatures.
West Ham are 18th in the league and are fighting for survival. And, if they do manage to avoid relegation, the Hammers will look to bring in reinforcements to improve their situation. They have had significant problems in the right-back position, and Dest’s arrival could help their cause.
However, West Ham will face tough competition from Crystal Palace, who are also in the relegation battle. But, the Eagles are in a better position as they sit on the 12th spot in the league and are three points above West Ham.
Crystal Palace have not been at their best in the ongoing season. Despite being above West Ham in the league, they have conceded more goals than them. Their defence has leaked goals, and the majority of it has been from the right-hand side.
Signing someone like Dest will improve their situation, and the Barcelona defender will also add a lot to their attacking play. However, either of the two clubs will first have to survive relegation, if they want to push for the €21 million-rated 22-year-old’s signatures. Meanwhile, several La Liga clubs are also keen on signing him.
