As the January transfer window draws to a close, Barcelona may find a silver lining in the form of Sergino Dest’s potential permanent move to PSV Eindhoven. The USMNT star, currently on loan, has undergone a remarkable transformation with the Dutch side, prompting serious consideration of exercising his buy option by PSV.
According to Mundo Deportivo, PSV is giving substantial thought to triggering the buy option, which could inject €10 million into Barcelona’s financial woes. While this could provide a welcome boost, the timing might be too late for Barcelona to capitalize on any last-minute transfer market opportunities.
Dest’s resurgence at PSV has not gone unnoticed, and the club’s sporting director, Earnie Stewart, confirmed in December the intention to secure the fullback’s services permanently. “It is true that there is an option to buy. The expectation is that we might do something with that,” Stewart mentioned, underlining the positive impact Dest has made in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Despite Dest’s improved form and potential financial relief, any aspirations of a return to Barcelona may be dashed, especially given the strained relationship with head coach Xavi during their time together at Camp Nou. Xavi had clarified that the USMNT right-back did not feature in his plans, leading to Dest’s loan move to PSV.
Dest addressed the possibility of returning to Barcelona, citing Xavi’s presence, “Xavi is still there. So not for the moment; it will be too difficult.” With Xavi announcing his departure at the end of the season, the dynamics may change, but Dest’s future at Barcelona remains uncertain, even if the buy option is exercised. The 23-year-old may have already played his last game for the Catalan club, marking the end of a chapter that saw financial relief intertwined with the complexities of player-manager relationships.
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