At a glance
- Sergino Dest has expressed interest in possibly returning to FC Barcelona.
- The Dutchman played for the Blaugrana from 2020-2024.
- He’s currently having a strong season at PSV in his birthland.
Ex-FC Barcelona full back Sergino Dest has expressed an interest in returning to the Blaugrana on NPO Radio.
Barca bought Dest from Ajax for €21 million in 2020, not long after then-head coach Ronald Koeman had failed to convince him to play for the Netherlands in his previous post overseeing that national team.
Under Koeman and his successor Xavi Hernandez, however, Dest couldn’t find his feet and left the club after loans at AC Milan and PSV.
Wrapping up a strong season at the latter club as a permanent squad player, and sealing his third straight national league title, Dest used an interview with NPO Radio to flirt with the Blaugrana.
Dest would love to return to Barcelona
“Signing for Barça would still be a dream. Hansi Flick‘s way of playing is incredible. I think it would fit in well,” the 25-year-old said.
“I spoke with [Ronald] Araújo some time ago after the match between the United States and Uruguay, and we had a good talk. He told me that he and Frenkie [De Jong] sometimes comment that they don’t understand why they sold me. That I would fit in well there,” Dest further explained.
Most commonly featuring at right back, Dest could provide competition to Jules Kounde who has begun to have injury problems.
La Masia graduate Xavi Espart would be another positional rival, however. And the same logic applies to Araujo.
Yet with all these players possibly on their way out of the club in the summer excluding Espart, money could be saved by cashing in and then acquiring €18 million rated Dest, according to Transfermarkt.
Like Joao Cancelo, though, Dest is another full back capable on playing on the left too. Selling Alejandro Balde also can’t be ruled out, and interest in him from the Premier League could again result in a considerable saving being made.
Heading towards the peak of his career, Dest can put himself in the shop window by having a strong home World Cup for the United States.
