Agent of Chelsea target Sergino Dest admits he could leave Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
According to transfer news on The Express, Chelsea are weighing up a £30million move for Barcelona star Sergino Dest in January.
The Blues have one of the best squads in the Premier League but have been hit by several injuries and Covid-19 concerns in recent weeks. The one that has hurt the most is the anterior cruciate ligament injury of Ben Chilwell.
The Englishman limped off the pitch last month and a return date is yet to be scheduled for the left-back. Thomas Tuchel has already made it clear that he would be interested in signing a replacement if the injury to the former Leicester ace is serious.
To that end, the Blues are lining up a deal for Sergino Dest. The full-back joined Barcelona last summer but could now lose his place in the starting line-up following the arrival of Dani Alves. Normally, a deal would have been negotiated in the summer since the player has a contract until 2025.
However, the Spanish club needs to register Ferran Torres, who could sign soon on a £50million deal. Thus, the 5-time European champions could be forced into selling some of their players in January to comply with the La Liga financial rules while registering Torres. This could enable Chelsea to complete a quick-fire mid-season move for Dest.
The 21-year-old has predominantly occupied the right-back slot at both clubs he has played for until now. However, he has, at times, shifted out to the left and done a great job. His attacking flair and defensive work rate make him a good option for most teams.
Moreover, he is likely to be an upgrade on the soon to be 31-year-old Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard had a great start to the season but looks far from his best at the moment. Dest, on the other hand, is young and has the legs to play week-after-week.
In fact, a swap deal is not outside the realms of reality, with Barcelona keen on signing out-of-contract Cesar Azpilicueta. However, such a move is unlikely to happen as the Blues would not be open to losing their club captain just to sign cover for one of our injured defenders.
Regardless, it remains to be seen whether Dest is one of the players the Catalan club offload in January if they sell any at all. However, if the American international does go on the market, Marina Granovskaia would be smart to conclude a deal for him as soon as the transfer window opens.
Dest is young and an able player on the ball when his team is in the final third of the pitch. Even if he is a short-term solution for Chilwell, he could well step up to the fore if and when we lose a veteran star such as Marcos Alonso. Not to mention, there is no real natural backup for Reece James in the right wing-back position and in such a situation, signing Dest does not seem like a bad idea.
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