Barcelona are set to kickstart their 2022/23 campaign later this evening as they play hosts to Rayo Vallecano in the season opener.
The club are facing a race against time to register the new players by the end of the month, especially after their economic issues started to resurface.
As part of the squad rebuild, Barcelona are expected to offload several fringe players in the recent. Nico Gonzalez, for one, has recently extended his contract before subsequently joining Valencia on a season-long loan deal.
According to Ferran Martinez, other players could join Nico through the exit door, including Sergino Dest.
It appears the American international has been made available in the market by Barcelona as the player is not rated highly by Xavi. The player has struggled to impress the Barça coach, often failing to offer consistency.
He has also had difficulties integrating himself into Xavi’s tactical setup. It has compelled Barcelona to consider his sale this summer, with the club reportedly looking for a new right-back in the market.
The Catalans were linked with a move for Cesar Azpilicueta earlier in the summer, but the Chelsea veteran opted to remain at Stamford Bridge.
However, Barcelona have not given up their pursuit of a new right-back just yet. They are actively considering other options in the market, with Hector Bellerin most recently appearing as a shock option for the Blaugrana.
That said, it will be challenging for Barcelona to find a suitor for Dest in the final month of the summer transfer window, considering the fact that most clubs across Europe are already sorted with their issues in the right-back position.
Moreover, Barcelona are unlikely to prioritise a move for any new player before they sort out their player registration ahead of the new season.