Sergino Dest to Barcelona reports will be getting USMNT fans all hot and sweaty.
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USMNT right back Dest, 19, is reportedly a target for the Spanish giants as they look at options to replace Nelson Semedo. Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Dest is the preferred choice over Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin to replace Semedo.
Per the report, Barcelona want to loan the versatile Ajax full back as the Dutch giants value him at $30 million. It is believed that loaning Dest will then give the new Barca board (which will arrive in March 2021) the chance to then evaluate the squad next summer and see how new manager Ronald Koeman has fared. Why would Ajax loan out on of their star defenders, though?
The report goes on to state that the fact that Dest, an Ajax academy product, can play both on the right and left comfortably makes him a very attractive proposition.
New Barcelona boss Koeman rates the attacking full back highly and tried to call him up to the Dutch national team last year. After thinking about his decision long and hard, Dest turned down the chance to play for the country of his birth and instead decided to keep playing for the USMNT after representing the Stars and Stripes throughout youth international level.
Is this a good move for Dest? Of course it is. Sergino Dest to Barcelona makes so much sense for everyone.
Koeman is ready to bring in plenty of Dutch players to keep that connection between the Netherlands national team and Barcelona going, with Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum also reported to be summer targets for the Catalan club. It seems like Dest would get plenty of minutes at Barcelona as Koeman shakes up the squad and this would be more amazing news for the USMNT who now have players scattered around Europe.
With Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, Gio Reyna at Borussia Dortmund and Tyler Adams at RB Leipzig, plus seeing Weston McKennie move to Juventus and now Dest being chased by Barcelona, there’s a real sense that respect levels for USMNT players in Europe are rising.
