"I arrived with a lot of enthusiasm" - Former Barcelona star Segino Dest says he 'lost confidence in his football' at Catalan club
Former Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest has claimed that he lost confidence during his time at Camp Nou. The American full-back left the Catalan giants this summer after securing a permanent move to PSV Eindhoven.
Dest joined Barca from Ajax in the summer of 2020 as one of the rising talents in football. However, he failed to live up to expectations and soon dropped down the pecking order at Barcelona.
The 23-year-old spent the last couple of seasons out on loan, first with AC Milan and then with PSV. The Eredivisie giants ultimately opted to make his stay permanent this summer, ending his Camp Nou ordeal.
However, speaking recently as cited by SPORT, Dest insisted that he has Barcelona in his heart.
"At Barcelona, I lost confidence in my football. I arrived with a lot of enthusiasm, to play. All things aside, I'll always carry Barça in my heart. It was a wonderful experience," said Dest via BarcaTimes.
The American rediscovered his mojo at the Philips Stadion under Peter Bosz last season. Dest has appeared 37 times across competitions for PSV Eindhoven, scoring two goals and setting up seven more.
The player picked up an ACL injury in April this year, but his good form prompted the Dutch side to sign him on a permanent deal. Dest left the Catalans giants with three goals and four assists from 72 appearances across competitions.
Will Barcelona sign a new right-back in 2025?
Barcelona have deployed Jules Kounde in the right-back position to good effect of late. The Frenchman appeared 48 times across competitions for the LaLiga giants last season, the majority of which was at full-back.
This season, the 25-year-old has operated exclusively at right-back, starting 10 of his 11 appearances. He has coped quite well with Hansi Flick's tactics, registering a goal and an assist as well.
However, Kounde prefers to play in the centre-back position, which could prompt the Catalan giants to move for a specialist right-back in 2025. Recent reports have suggested that Barca have been offered the chance to sign Reece James next year.
The English right-back is one of the best in his position in Europe but has struggled to stay fit of late. James is now looking to leave Chelsea and move to the warmer climates of southern Europe to address his injury woes.
However, the player is likely to cost a fortune, given that he is under contract with the Blues until 2028. Barcelona may not have the finances to script a deal for the 24-year-old at the moment.