Barca Finally Seals Deal For Sergino Dest Of Ajax

KEY POINTS

Dest nearing a move to Camp Nou
Bayern was also nearing a deal for the US international
Barca, Ajax still ironing out a payment schedule for Dest

FC Barcelona has finally sealed the deal for Sergino Dest of Ajax. The 19-year-old is in the closing stages of a deal that would see the right-back make a move to Camp Nou. The deal is said to be worth roughly $22 million aside from other add-ons.

Dest is one of the players that Ronald Koeman is targeting but failed in previous tries. Barca is currently unloading players to raise the necessary funds for key targets. One of the latest players released is Nelson Semedo who is set to join Wolverhampton.

One of the targets is Dest, someone tasked to beef up the defensive end of Blaugrana. As mentioned in a previous post, he and Max Aarons of Norwich City are players that Koeman wants to bring to Camp Nou. The Catalan Giants needed to act fast with other clubs like Atletico Madrid also interested in US International. And it appears they have succeeded in doing so, sealing a $22 million deal plus incentives worth around $6 million according to Esport3.

Semedo’s exit and the impending move of Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid opened the door for Koeman who needed added funds to facilitate the deal.

Dest is an interesting acquisition for Barca. He was named Ajax Young Talent of the Year last season and was also part of the 2020 Golden Boy shortlist. In his senior appearances so far, Dest has accounted for two goals and six assists. Aside from Atletico, other clubs interested in the right-back include Juventus and Tottenham, NBC Sports reported.

Though the deal is a milestone, it appears there were some details left out. With huge money involved, it has yet to be determined how Barca and Ajax can agree on a proper timing on the payment installments to complete the deal. Once that is out of the way, Dest should fit in perfectly for the retooling club.

The Dest deal to Barca comes not long after Sport1 reported that a deal between Bayern and Ajax was also in the closing stages. Bayern was seen as a good fit for Dest, giving him also the chance to work with Hansi Flick. But right now, it appears the move to Camp Nou has progressed beyond that.