After three years of struggles at Barcelona and AC Milan (on loan), Sergino Dest seems to have rediscovered his best version at PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old USMNT international left Barça for the Dutch outfit on a season-long loan deal in the summer transfer window and has made the most of his time in the Netherlands.
In 32 appearances, a large portion of which have come at left-back, Dest has contributed with two goals and six assists, making a lasting impression on his loan club.
PSV hope to keep Dest for longer
Speaking to ESPN, PSV Eindhoven director of football Earnest Stewart has admitted that he and the club hope to see Dest and fellow loanee Malik Tillman stay beyond the ongoing season.
When asked if he wants to see the USMNT duo sign on permanent transfers, Stewart replied: “Yeah, I’d say that’s fair. That’s more than fair. Both players are players that have done fantastic for PSV Eindhoven and yeah, I can say that we hope that both players stay.”
Stewart then went on to talk about how he was impressed by Dest’s performances this season, saying:
“Knock on wood, his body is built for high-performance sports and he can just do the most amazing things. He’s an offensive full-back which helps us in the way that we want to play, getting up and down the sideline as he does.”
The PSV director then stressed that it was important for Dest to stay at a club for an extended period and build a solid base before again moving on to bigger things.
“I think it’s important for him to be at a club for a longer period and, and then, you know, make sure he gets better and better and better. And then once he goes to those bigger clubs that he’s already been part of, he goes there as a mainstay.”
Barcelona will sell Dest
Given his impressive performances, there has been some talk of Barcelona wanting to bring Dest back into the fold for next season.
However, as things stand, the plan is for the Catalan heavyweights to sell him off permanently in the summer.
PSV have a permanent purchase option worth €10 million embedded in the loan agreement with Barcelona. However, they will likely try to reduce that price while Dest’s salary could also be an issue.
