Report: AC Milan interested in Barcelona full-back as Florenzi alternative

The footballing world is trying to come to grips with perhaps the most shocking transfer ever, as Lionel Messi edges closer and closer to Paris Saint-Germain. Indeed, after officially leaving Barcelona last week, despite having been a free agent for over a month, Messi is on the cusp of completing a switch to PSG.

While that move is likely to dominate the headlines for quite some time, there could be more exits from Camp Nou in the coming weeks as Barca look to trim their wage bill further. Miralem Pjanic seems set to return to Italy, while the Catalans continue to look for suitors for Samuel Umtiti.

Amidst this, promising youngster Sergino Dest finds himself as a subject of interest from Serie A giants AC Milan. Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport states that the Rossoneri are eyeing the Barcelona right-back as a fallback option should they fail in their pursuit of AS Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi.

Dest arrived at Barcelona only last summer from AFC Ajax. The USMNT starlet showed a lot of positives but at the same time, it was evident that he still needs a lot of polishing to become a top player in his position.

A subject of transfer enquiry from Bayern Munich not very long ago, the Barca youngster is now on the radars of Milan as well. The Serie A giants, who returned to the UEFA Champions League after a long wait, are in the market for a new right-back this summer.

Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot, who spent the last season on loan at San Siro, was the primary target, but the move seems to have hit a dead end. That has led Stefano Pioli’s side to Florenzi, with Dest being viewed as an alternative to the Italian international.

Barcelona have strengthened their right-back slot with the signing of Emerson Royal this summer. Given their need to cut down on their wages, the Catalans are looking for player sales, which Milan are hoping to capitalise on.

However, a move for Dest seems highly unlikely given as the 20-year-old has already turned down several offers from top clubs across Europe, while Barcelona also view him as an important part of the setup.