"It will be too difficult" - Barcelona loanee claims he won't return to the club while Xavi is in charge
Barcelona loanee Sergino Dest has seemingly brought to light issues he has with Xavi by insisting he won't return to the La Liga giants while the Spaniard is in charge.
Dest has been on loan at Eredivisie outfit PSV Eindhoven and has been since last summer. The American right-back has played a prominent role in Peter Bosz's side this season, making 20 appearances across competitions, scoring one goal, and providing three assists.
The 23-year-old had struggled for game time under Xavi while at Barcelona. He started 10 of 18 games across competitions since the Spanish tactician's appointment in November 2021.
Dest's current loan deal at PSV expires at the end of the season, but he deemed a return to the Blaugrana as difficult with Xavi at the helm. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
"Xavi is still there. So not for the moment , it will be too difficult."
Reports from last season claimed Xavi had no plans for Dest at Barcelona amid a poor loan spell at Serie A giants AC Milan. There was an expectation that the pacey full-back would make a permanent exit last summer.
However, Dest headed to PSV on loan, looking to reignite his career at the Philips Arena. The USMNT international seemingly has no plans to return to Catalonia unless Xavi is shown the door.
Xavi has come under increasing pressure recently following his side's 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana. Barca are also fourth in La Liga, eight points behind leaders Girona after 19 games.
PSV director Earnie Stewart suggests they will trigger the buy option in Barcelona's Sergino Dest's loan deal
PSV have the option to make Dest's loan deal permanent at the end of the season. A €10 million buy option was reportedly included in the deal that took the American to the Eredivisie club last summer.
Earnie Stewart expects Boeren to trigger the buy option in Dest and Bayern Munich loanee Malik Tillman's deals. The club's director said (via GOAL):
"We can say that things are going really well for us and for these two players. It is true that there is an option to buy with both players. The expectation is that we might do something with that."
Barcelona signed Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City last summer and the Portuguese right-back has impressed. He's made 22 appearances across competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
However, Cancelo is currently nursing a knee injury, with Xavi using Ronald Araujo as a makeshift right-back. In any case, the Blaugrana and Dest appear to be parting ways permanently in the near future.