Barcelona are looking to make some changes to their squad this summer. Veterans such as Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, and Luis Suarez have left the club. Youngsters such as Pedri and Francisco Trincao will look to replace them.
Nelson Semedo has always been a controversial topic amongst Barca fans, but the club have decided to sell him. Replacing him, one of the best young fullbacks in Europe, Ajax‘s Sergiño Dest. According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have completed a £22 million deal, plus add ons, with Dest set to sign a deal until June 2025.
Barcelona Close in on Dest
Chief Bayern Target
Dest has not been short of suitors this summer, with Champions League winners Bayern also in the hunt for his signature. Similar to Alphonso Davies, manager Hansi Flick wanted to make Dest a staple of his backline for many years.
However, the 19-year-old has always preferred Barca, and the chance to link up with compatriot Ronald Koeman was too good to pass up. Even without Koeman, though, Barcelona are Dest’s dream club, which shows the club still has pull power.
Bayern have been in constant communication with Ajax, with an official offer on the table as well. In fact, the Bavarian giants were favorites for some time, especially given Barca’s poor financial situation. However, the sale of Semedo to Wolverhampton Wanderers has seemingly raised more than enough funds to cover Dest’s fee.
Now, Bayern will miss out on one of their top targets as Dest picks Ronald Koeman’s rebuild at Barcelona over the recent glory at Bayern Munich.
Not the First Barcelona/Bayern Battle for Promising Right-Back
This fight for Dest was familiar with that of another right-back who seemed perfect for Barcelona, yet is excelling at the Allianz Arena: Joshua Kimmich.
The 25-year-old is now one of the best right-backs/defensive midfielders in the world, and his versatility is invaluable. His ability on the ball, combined with his excellent defensive and positioning would make him perfect for Barcelona.
However, president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board decided against pursuing him, and former manager Pep Guardiola was happy to snap him up for Bayern. Kimmich has since gone on to become an exceptional player, and it was a wasted opportunity for Barcelona.
They didn’t want to make the same mistake with Dest, which is why they rightly did whatever it took to get the deal done. Even with the limited funding, he was the priority, as he should be.
Signing Dest is a massive coup for Koeman and Barca, and it could shore up their right-back spot for many years.
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