Barcelona ponder selling right-back Sergino Dest in January transfer window amidst Chelsea interest
According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo [Print edition] via Sport Witness (h/t The Mirror), Barcelona are contemplating selling right-back Sergino Dest in the January transfer window amidst interest from Chelsea.
Dest is “no longer an essential player” under Xavi Hernandez, which has prompted Barca to assess their options regarding his future. Dani Alves has returned to Camp Nou in that role, while Oscar Mingueza could also play in that position when needed.
However, the US international is not interested in moving elsewhere, which could spell trouble for the Blues. The Blaugrana club is also looking for an “exorbitant offer” to part ways with him, further dampening the chances of the West London club to try their cards for a move.
Difficult road ahead
The Catalans bought the 21-year-old from Ajax for a fee of £18.9million excluding add-ons amidst much hype. At the same time, he has not fully hit his stride but still has years ahead of him to fulfil the potential he has shown so far.
The La Liga fullback is versatile enough to play on both ends of the pitch, which is very beneficial for us since Ben Chilwell and Reece James are out on the sidelines with their respective injuries. We only have Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta as our backup options for the left-hand and right-hand sides of the pitch respectively.
The US youngster would assist us in that regard and can be used in any of these roles if we do end up signing him. He has played for both club and country in both positions while impressing in the process. While his hype has considerably cooled down at Camp Nou as compared to when he came in, he could still become a wonderful prospect for us.
The Spanish club would be well aware of our defensive crisis but their financially-stricken situation means that we have our own methods to potentially negate any negotiation tactics. But then again, signing a player in January is often a difficult job.
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Whatever the case may be, Marina Granovskaia would be wise to make some signings as soon as possible so that we can integrate them into the squad. The more time passes, the more the risk factor increases as Alonso and Azpilicueta could deteriorate their fitness or pick up an injury/suspension without regular rotation.
Dest is a young, versatile player who is an able runner with the ball down the flanks. Even when our injured stars return, the USMNT youngster would offer solid competition and a safety net for when, or if, Azpilicueta and Alonso potentially leave any time in the near future.