FC Barcelona defender Sergino Dest is reportedly considering a loan proposal from Villarreal, with Leeds United and Manchester United both looking to sign the American defender.
According to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, the 21-year-old fullback has an offer on the table from Villarreal, with Barcelona looking to offload the youngster for the year as Xavi Hernandez looks to sign another right-back to replace Dest, with Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin a reported candidate.
Dest has been linked with the likes of Leeds and United this summer, with Romano stating that Erik Ten Hag is a fan of his former Ajax superstar and that a move could happen in the next few days, however, the Dutch manager has since confirmed that Aaron Wan-Bissaka will stay at Old Trafford, essentially ruling out a move for the Barcelona outcast.
Indeed, Dest now having an offer from Villarreal could cause some problems for the likes of United, who in particular wanted to sign the American right-back this summer given his record under Ten Hag and his incredible profile for the Red Devils.
However, the chances of Dest now moving to the Premier League look slim, and with the prospect of playing regular football for a top side like Villarreal now on the cards, signing for Unai Emery’s side seems to be the 21-year-old’s best chance of leaving his Barcelona nightmare.
Whilst Leeds could remain an option, recent reports seem to suggest that Jesse Marsch’s side are more interested in signing another wide-attacker, which means Villarreal are in the clear to bring in Dest on loan in a deal that could be crucial to the defender’s development.
Dest should sign for Villarreal to ensure playing time this season
Interest from Leeds and United is good and all, but signing for either Premier League doesn’t bring a guarantee that Dest will play regular football unlike at Villarreal, where Emery’s side are keen to recruit a right-back before the closure of the window this Thursday.
With Villarreal also competing in Europe in the form of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Dest will be more than open to signing for the Yellow Submarine on loan for the year, with the opportunity to also impress against Barcelona also a tantalising one.
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