PSV Eindhoven will reportedly look to permanently sign 23-year-old American full-back Sergino Dest from Barcelona next year.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Sergino Dest might continue in the Eredivisie beyond the 2023/24 season. The 23-year-old is enjoying a solid campaign with PSV Eindhoven. And the Dutch giants want to complete a permanent deal next year, although they do not want to trigger the purchase clause they agreed with Barcelona this past summer.
Sergino Dest: A Story of Ups and Downs
Sergino Dest achieved his dream when he joined Barcelona from Ajax in October 2020. He enjoyed a decent debut season with the Blaugrana, but his stock fell in the 2021/22 campaign. AC Milan subsequently landed the American full-back on loan for the 2022/23 season on Deadline Day of the 2022 summer transfer window.
But the move did not work out, with the 23-year-old barely featuring for AC Milan last season. Barcelona did not want to keep Dest at the club in the ongoing season and would have preferred a permanent deal. But no suitor was forthcoming with such an offer, meaning the Blaugrana had to open up to a loan exit.
The player eventually returned to the Eredivisie in August, with PSV Eindhoven snapping him up on a loan deal until the end of the 2023/24 season. The move has worked well for both parties, with Dest being a regular thus far this term. He has turned out 15 times while chipping in with two assists.
Permanent Move to PSV Eindhoven Beckons?
But despite his impressive performances for PSV Eindhoven, Sergino Dest does not have a future in Catalonia. Barcelona will prioritise another deal for Joao Cancelo instead of reintegrating the American full-back into the first-team squad. Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven will look to permanently sign Dest next year.
The agreement between Barcelona and PSV stipulates that the Eredivisie outfit will have the option to complete a permanent deal for €10 million. But the Dutch giants are not ready to stump up the sum and will look to reduce the asking price to keep the 23-year-old at the Philips Stadion.
Barcelona will also prefer to permanently sell Sergino Dest in the 2024 summer transfer window. But it is unclear if they will agree to a fee lower than the value of the purchase clause, i.e. €10 million. It will be interesting to see if PSV will succeed in sealing a deal worth less than €10 million next year.
