Dest to Barcelona is all but confirmed, as the USMNT right back is in Barcelona and is about to seal a dream move to the Nou Camp.
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Dest, 19, will become Ronald Koeman’s first signing as the new Barcelona manager as the former Dutch national team boss spoke to the media and confirmed that Dest is having a medical and will sign a contract at Barca in the coming hours.
This move (said to be for $25 million) marks an incredible 12 months for Dest, who has gone from Ajax’s reserve squad to becoming a regular for the Dutch giants, playing in the UEFA Champions League and making his international debut for the USMNT.
“Dest is having a medical and still has to sign the contract,” Koeman said on Dest to Barcelona. “He’s a young full-back, it’s about having young players for the club’s future. He has to compete with the other full-backs we have. Despite age, he’s played a lot of games, played in Champions League. A very useful player.”
Koeman now has a couple of bright young American teenage talents at Barcelona.
Young American winger Konrad de la Fuente, 19, has come through the youth ranks at Barcelona, and Koeman has been very impressed with him and believes Konrad and Dest will be big players for the USMNT in the future.
“It’s good for American football that you have players like Dest, like Konrad here in Barcelona,” Koeman explained. “But both players are still young. Sergino last season in Ajax first team, in the Champions League, that experience will help the player and also the U.S national team.”
This is great news for the USMNT.
Dest and Konrad are highly-rated by Koeman and given Barcelona’s remit is to give minutes to younger players as they rebuild their squad and move on from veterans such as Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and others, they will get plenty of chances to impress.
The fact that Dest can play as a right back or left back will help him out, especially as Barcelona recently sold Nelson Semedo. Get ready for USMNT fans to buy plenty of Barcelona jerseys with Dest and Konrad on the back of them.
Koeman confirms Dest to Barcelona; praises USMNT originally appeared on NBCSports.com
