Barca or Bayern? Sergiño Dest is about to join one of the world’s biggest clubs

The transfer rumor mill has been churning on overdrive today, and it’s all revolving around where Sergiño Dest will call home this season. The 19-year-old right back for Ajax and the United States Men’s National Team has been the subject of several rumors involving leaving Amsterdam for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

There have been many teams that have been angling for Dest’s services, but two teams have emerged as frontrunners: Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Barcelona has stepped up their efforts to sign the defender in the past few days, but any deal remains contingent on Barca unloading one of their players on the roster. Right back Nelson Semedo is the player most think would be leaving the Camp Nou, and that would clear the way for Dest to move into the starting XI.

However, Bayern Munich also has been active in their pursuit of Dest, and by sending Thiago Alcantara to Liverpool today, they now have some funds to invest in Dest. Dest also has expressed his desire to go to Bayern over any other club to Ajax, and Bayern have now traveled to Amsterdam to begin talks with Ajax over the American.

Whether Sergiño Dest ends up heading to the Allianz Arena or the Camp Nou, this is a major move for an American. If he moves to Barcelona, he could become the first American to ever play for the heralded club’s first team (provided fellow American Konrad de la Fuente doesn’t beat him to it in the next couple weeks). He would join a club that is in desperate need of a makeover to satisfy soccer legend Lionel Messi and prove that they have the tools to once again win La Liga and the Champions League. New head coach Ronald Koeman, who has long favored Dest and unsuccessfully recruited him to join the Netherlands national team over the USMNT, recently left the Oranje for the Camp Nou and it’s clear that Dest fits the style of play he wishes to implement for the Blaugrana. However, Bayern has the chance to secure Dest and form a core of fullbacks, along with Alphonso Davies, that would both turn 20 just a day apart (November 2nd for Davies, November 3rd for Dest).

Having Dest at either club would cap a remarkable transfer window for Americans that, among other moves, saw Weston McKennie become the first American player at Juventus. Add to that Christian Pulisic becoming the #10 at Chelsea, Gio Reyna becoming a focal point of the Borussia Dortmund offense, Tyler Adams solidly in the starting XI at RB Leipzig, and the aforementioned Konrad de la Fuente making a push to join Barca’s first team, it’s been an amazing few weeks for American players in Europe. It’s incredible to see Americans be coveted by the world’s big clubs, and if they can do well, that only helps Americans down the line secure moves to other big clubs. Dest is clearly ready to make the leap, and it could be the biggest one of all.

So, where will Sergiño Dest end up? Is he destined for Bavaria or Catalonia? We will find out soon, but Sergiño Dest could be in line to make a move to one of the world’s soccer giants.