Chelsea offer remains on table as Barcelona push for cut-price defender deal
Barcelona are ready to sanction the sale of Sergino Dest to Chelsea for just €20m, claims a report in Spain.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is looking for full-back cover after the injury to Ben Chilwell. The England full-back looks likely to be sidelined for the entire season prompting Tuchel to look for cover. And the German boss has admitted as much, as he and his scouts go through a list of targets.
“We will miss Ben Chilwell for the whole season. He is a top guy and a top professional.
“It’s not only what I wish for [for us to reinforce]. We are evaluating it and we are looking into this position, and yes, this is one of the options [recalling Palmieiri] but I will not comment further.
“We are discussing [the January window] and we are in talks with the staff and the board and the scouting department, checking possibilities,” said Tuchel last week.
And one of those options is believed to be USMNT defender Dest.
Barcelona have had issues at right-back for quite some time. And so far 21-year-old Dest has not been the man to solve those problems.
Dest has ‘no ambitions to change’
Barca recently brought back Dani Alves to the club. And now, according to El Nacional, they are willing to let Dest go for just €20m this summer.
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Chelsea have been named as the player’s prime suitors. While Chelsea have reportedly put up the money to land the versatile defender.
Dest though is unconvinced about a move and recently his agent Michael Reschke told Bild that his man has no intention of moving.
Reschke said: “The boy currently has no ambitions to change. I am sceptical that there will be a transfer to Munich in the summer. ”
A series of injury problems have hindered Dest this season and he is yet to play under Xavi. He was back on the bench against Granada. And El Nacional suggest his entourage want him to get game time under Xavi.
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Barca keen to cash in on Dest
Oscar Mingueza, Ronald Araujo, and Dani Alves have been the options for Xavi and none are seen as the long-term solution.
Dest, who is under contract until 2025, believes he can fill the void long term for Barca. The LaLiga giants are not so convinced and think now could be the best time to cash in on the player.
They recently managed to get Samuel Umtiti to agree to a new contract which will see him reduce part of the salary that he was due to receive in the remaining 18 months of his deal.
That allowed the financially-stricken club to register Ferran Torres. And cashing in on Dest, who was an initial €21.2m signing from Ajax in October 2020, could be too good to refuse.
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