Report: Bayern, Barça, and Sergino Dest poised for a January rethink
According to Catalan portal El Nacional, FC Bayern München may be prepared to make another play for American fullback Sergino Dest.
Some 14 months after the 21-year-old opted for Barça over Bayern, there may be a reversal in the coming January transfer window.
Following a high stakes game of poker last autumn, German giants FC Bayern München ultimately lost the battle for then Ajax fullback Sergio Dest. The FCB ultimately settled for the consistently ineffective Bouna Sarr as a solution to their right fullback problem. Dest settled for a club that Bayern just eliminated from the Champions' League.
Some 14 months after the 21-year-old opted for Barça over Bayern, there may be a reversal in the coming January transfer window.
Catalan online newspaper El Nacional reports that Dest now regrets his decision. There can be no independent corroboration of that at this time, but sentiment would make sense as the Messi-less Barça now stand seventh in the league, most certainly headed for a series of seasons without Champions' League football. Dest has also slid out of trainer Xavi Hernandez's XI.
The report notes that Bayern--who still have issues at the right fullback position--could emerge as likely suitors during the coming January transfer window. The Catalan source reports that head-coach Hernandez has given the green light to club management for the negotiation of a sale. It further notes that there has been contact between the sides in recent weeks.
A potential impediment to the deal remains Barça's asking price, rumored to be around €30 million. This could prove far to rich for even Germany's richest club. Some lucrative sponsorship deals aside, Bayern remains a fan-owned 50+1 club not backed by major investment. In normal times, the record champions would still have more to spend then the rest of the Bundesliga, but COVID has adversely affected the club as well.
German clubs largely had to exercise restraint during the recent summer transfer window and many German football watchers anticipate a January window free of huge blockbuster deals.
The next few weeks shall nevertheless prove interesting as some German clubs carry positive transfer balances from the previous window, have more money under a new TV deal, and have recouped some gate/concession/merchandising receipts from the return of fans.