West Ham United are monitoring Barcelona defender Sergino Dest ahead of a potential move to the London Stadium, according to reports.
What’s the latest on Dest’s future?
The Irons currently have Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal as their options at right-back, but with the latter out of contract at the end of the campaign, David Moyes will have to enter the market to find a replacement should he not put pen to paper on fresh terms, and it sounds like the 22-year-old has been identified as the ideal candidate to come in and be just that.
The Catalans star still has another two years remaining on his deal at Camp Nou but at present he’s out on a season-long loan at AC Milan, who do have the option to buy him later in the summer, and the fact that they aren’t fussed about him returning to force his way into the first-team shows exactly how far down the pecking order he is under manager Xavi.
The United States international hasn’t been helped by the fair share of spells he’s had to spend on the sidelines through injury having sustained five separate problems this season alone, but this inconsistent availability doesn’t seem to have stopped Moyes from wanting to try and entice him to the Premier League.
According to 90min, West Ham, Wolves and Crystal Palace are all “keeping tabs” on Dest’s situation, with Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Valencia, Sevilla, Lyon and Union Berlin also “keen” to complete a deal for Barcelona’s full-back.
The Blaugrana are “looking to sell” their talented prospect and have “high expectations” regarding the fee that they are looking to receive in order to sanction his sale. They hope to “recoup” as much of the €21m (£18m) they initially paid for him as possible, though it’s worth noting that he does have a staggering €400m (£351m) buyout clause.
Would Dest be a good signing for West Ham?
Dest has been previously been lauded for “world-class potential” by talent scout Jacek Kulig who also claimed West Ham’s target is “extremely fast” and had “superb dribbling skills”, and he would certainly be an exciting acquisition for Moyes.
The Netherlands-born talent is extremely attack-minded and loves to use his pace to get down the flank, which has resulted in him registering 20 assists and even scoring 11 goals himself throughout his career, as per Transfermarkt, with this athleticism being exactly what is missing from the current options in the capital.
Dest is also very strong in his link-up play with his fellow teammates, where he ranks in the 93rd percentile for pass completion, and would add plenty of versatility to the side with his ability to operate as a full-back, midfielder and even winger on both flanks, making this a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to complete.
