Barcelona set for HUGE transfer loss
Tom Hancock
- 4 Aug 2023 17:51 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona are reportedly looking to offload Sergino Dest on a permanent basis, after sending the full-back on loan to AC Milan last season.
Dest joined Barca from Ajax in 2020, but he has never truly made the grade with the Blaugrana, and a parting of ways looks to be logical next step.
Milan decided in January that they wouldn’t be making Dest’s loan spell permanent – and the United States international didn’t feature for the rest of the campaign.
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Dest could be on the move on a loan basis again this summer, though, with The Athletic reporting that Barca are open to that option.
The report adds that the La Liga champions value Dest at €10m – half of what they paid to sign him three years ago.
Barca seem determined to cut their losses as they continue to battle well-documented financial difficulties.
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Dest’s mixed fortunes
During his nine months on loan at Milan from September last year, Dest featured just eight times in Serie A – and only 14 times in all competitions.
It’s fair to say that stint didn’t go remotely according to plan for the Dutch-born defender – although he did retain his spot in the USMNT squad for the 2022 World Cup, setting up Christian Pulisic’s winning goal in the final group game against Iran to seal the States’ place in the last 16.
Barcelona have made two sales so far this transfer window, with midfielders Nico Gonzales and Alex Collado leaving for Porto and Real Betis respectively (the latter subsequently joining Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Okhdood on loan).
Meanwhile, Barca have signed three players themselves: Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez on free transfers, and Oriol Romeu from Girona.
