Barcelona defender agrees personal terms with Serie A heavyweights

Sergino Dest is on the verge of leaving Barcelona to sign for Italian champions AC Milan on the summer transfer deadline day.

The USMNT star had been deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou by Xavi Hernandez and had been told to find a new club before the window closes. A transfer to Manchester United seemed likely but fell through as the Red Devils decided to keep Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

At that point, Dest’s future linked in limbo, until AC Milan made a swoop for him late on Wednesday night. The Rossoneri soon reached a total agreement with Barcelona to sign the 21-year-old defender on a season-long loan deal with a purchase option included.

Now, according to Achraf Ben Ayad, the former AFC Ajax right-back has agreed personal terms with the Serie A champions, taking him a step closer to completing a switch to Italy.

The journalist even adds that Dest would be flying out to Milan shortly to complete the remaining formalities and finalise the transfer.

Fabrizio Romano has also shed more light on the terms of the agreement, claiming that Milan have the option to make the transfer permanent for a fee of €20 million, which is not mandatory.

Furthermore, Dest will be signing a contract with the Rossoneri until the summer of 2027 – one year on loan and a potential four-year deal should the transfer be permanent at the end of the current season.

Signed from Ajax in 2020, the right-back never got going at Barcelona. A change of scenery could help him get his career back on track. As for the Blaugrana, they will make a strong push to sign a new right-back on deadline day, with Mexican ace Julian Araujo emerging as a target.