Barcelona put 21-year-old on transfer market ahead of winter window

Amidst the reign of Josep Maria Bartomeu at Barcelona, very few moves of the board were received well by the fanbase. The former president had earned a reputation for signing players that did not fit the system, and every new arrival was taken with a pinch of salt.

Yet, the signing of Sergino Dest was one that got the fans excited. The USMNT star was seen not only as a skillful player in the final third but one who would understand the philosophy of the team.

Coming from Ajax, he was expected to possess the footballing intelligence to seamlessly gel into Barcelona’s model. Moreover, his young age made him a valuable asset for the future.

However, Dest’s career has seemingly hit a standstill at Barcelona. While it was hoped for a long time that improvement would come with time, there has been little, if any, upgrade in his skill set.

His defensive ability was a liability coming into the Catalan team, yet that problem is not solved even to date.

Fernando Polo reports that the club are now ready to put the right-back on the transfer market. Barcelona wants to recoup as much money as they can by his sale before his market value drops further.

Xavi’s side have Dani Alves, Sergi Roberto, and Oscar Mingueza covering at right-back if the youngster is sold. Yet, the former is untested while the latter is still extremely raw himself.

It remains to be seen if Xavi provides Dest with time till the end of the season to prove his worth. The USMNT star will have to step up regardless, with his prominence in the team falling with every passing day.