Barcelona 'name asking price for Sergino Dest'

The USA international arrived from Ajax in 2020 to high expectations, having cost the Blaugrana €21m (£18.2m), but he has flattered to deceive in Catalonia.

Dest also failed to reignite his career during a loan spell with AC Milan last season, failing to score or assist in 14 appearances and only starting two Serie A matches.

Barcelona are noticeably short of out-and-out right-back options, with Xavi often forced to deploy Ronald Araujo or Jules Kounde in that area of the field amid Sergi Roberto's fitness woes.

With the Blaugrana also failing to sign a new player in that area of the field this summer, Dest had been offered a lifeline by Xavi and played in their pre-season friendlies against Arsenal, Real Madrid and Milan.

The 22-year-old failed to impress, though, and Barcelona are expected to sanction his sale this summer before he enters the final year of his deal, which expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.

According to The Athletic, Barcelona are prepared to take a financial hit on the right-back and will happily offload him for as little as €10m (£8.7m) in the coming weeks.

Another loan exit for the former Ajax man has not been ruled out either, and there was previous speculation that Barcelona could even go as far as terminating his contract.

However, sources close to Dest have apparently rubbished those claims, and the defender outlined his intention to stay and make a name for himself at Barcelona earlier this summer.

Furthermore, the American has supposedly not been told that he is on the chopping block, but his indifferent pre-season performances are understood to have left Xavi feeling that his future lies elsewhere.

Dest has registered three goals and four assists in 72 games for Barcelona since his arrival three years ago, and he was initially deployed in a variety of positions for the Blaugrana.

As well as his conventional right-back role, Dest has been used as a left-back and further up the field as a winger by Barcelona, but injuries have also hampered his time at Camp Nou.

The Almere-born defender has won one trophy with Barca in the 2020-21 Copa del Rey and recently became a CONCACAF Nations League champion with the USA for a second time, but he missed their final win over Canada after seeing red against Mexico in the semis.

In anticipation of Dest's departure, Barcelona have allegedly agreed personal terms with Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo, who could be signed using the funds raised from Ousmane Dembele's move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona cap off their pre-season preparations against Tottenham Hotspur in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Tuesday before commencing their La Liga title defence away to Getafe on August 13.