Barcelona are eagerly trying to get rid of out-of-favour defender Sergino Dest before the transfer window slams shut in two days’ time.
The 21-year-old has been told that he does not belong in manager Xavi Hernandez’s plans anymore and the club are working hard to find a solution for him as it would also aid their bid to bring in a new right-back and register that player without any hassles.
Manchester United have shown an interest in signing Dest, with the Red Devils’ manager open to working with his former Ajax protege again.
To that end, the Premier League giants had proposed a swap deal involving Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who does not feature in ten Hag’s plans at Old Trafford. However, Barça have no interest in exchanging Dest for the English defender.
Instead, as reported by Ferran Martinez on Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona would only consider swapping Dest if Manchester United were to offer their other right-back, Diogo Dalot.
The Blaugrana do not have good reports on Wan-Bissaka on and off the pitch and thus are uninterested in bringing him to Spotify Camp Nou. However, their stance could change if Dalot was introduced into the equation.
The Portuguese international has been on the Catalan giants’ radars in the past. After having struggled to make an impact at United, he became the first-choice right-back during Ralf Rangnick’s tenure as interim manager and has continued to hold the position under ten Hag.
Barcelona would ideally want €20 million to sell Dest, but are aware that is not a realistic possibility at this stage of the transfer window. So, they might consider an exchange as long as Dalot was offered, which would ensure that they have a replacement at right-back.
As things stand, Dest’s agents are negotiating with both clubs to try and work out an arrangement and it remains to be seen if the discussions yield a successful result before the transfer window closes.