Barcelona Full-Back On Loan At Milan Has Impressed At The World Cup: Should Xavi Sell Him In January? | OneFootball

In a recent report from Marca, it was mentioned that Barcelona left-back Sergino Dest, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, has impressed the Rossoneri. His performances in the 2022 FIFA World Cup have left the Milan board satisfied and they would be willing to pay the transfer fee that lies in the region of £16 million, requested by the Catalan club in order to activate the purchase option.

Dest’s Campaign At AC Milan This Season

The 22-year-old has had very little to do in the first half of his loan with the Italian outfit. The Almere-born talent has participated in 9 matches for Milan this season without picking up an assist or having found the back of the net. He mostly came off the bench as a late substitute, so that explains why he isn’t at his best.

However, Dest deserves some credit after showing impressive displays at the back for the American national team after averaging 1.5 shots, 1.3 dribbles,1.0 tackles, 1.8 clearances, and 0.8 key passes over four appearances in which he also managed to produce an assist. He was even accurate when distributing the ball after making 89.9% of his attempted passes in the 2022 FIFA World Cup helping his side qualify for the knockouts (stats via whoscored).

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Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Sell Him To Milan In January?

Dest remains an excellent dribbler with the ball and can set up a few promising chances for his teammates in front of the goal. He is a good tackler of the ball and doesn’t hesitate to put his foot into a tackle when the opposition are on the front foot.

The United States sensation is confident in playing his way out from the back as he remains proficient at distributing possession to his teammates. Furthermore, he is versatile enough to play in multiple positions across the pitch. Dest can operate in both the full-back positions or act as a wing-back or even as a winger on either flank, which makes him a brilliant addition to any squad. However, Xavi has already deemed him a surplus at Camp Nou and it would only be better for him if he were to continue at Milan permanently rather than return to the Spanish giants.

His performances at the World Cup recently have shown that he has a lot to offer over the coming years and it has also increased the hope of what he can do in the Serie A if he gains a little confidence on the pitch. So we can expect him to move to San Siro stadium permanently in the January transfer window.