Sergino Dest has been a shining star for PSV Eindhoven since he joined the Eredivisie team on loan from his parent club FC Barcelona in the summer. Things could not be going better for the Farmers as they head into their winter break with a record of 16 wins and no defeats, placing them at the top of the league with a 10-point lead ahead of their nearest rivals Feyenoord.
The Dutch-born USA international has been a big part of the team’s success, having started 11 times at right-back. In PSV’s last league game of the year, he found the back of the net against AZ Alkmaar in a 4-0 victory.
The 23-year-old had nothing but praise for his American colleague, Ricardo Pepi however, who the team purchased from Augsburg in July 2023 after a season-long loan to FC Groningen where he scored a dozen goals in 29 appearances.
Referring to the Champions League draw against Arsenal, Dest told Yanks Abroad that, “he looked very good tonight. Ricardo is a very good player.”
The Texan is still trying to work his way into the starting 11 but faces stiff competition from Dutch international Luuk de Jong who, as the number one striker has started every game of the season thus far and has also banged in 12 league goals as well as two in the Champions League.
“Whenever he gets his minutes,” Dest continued, “he plays good games and obviously he scores a lot when he comes in, even if it’s not for that many minutes.”
“He is doing well and training well, so he just has to wait for his chances.”
The 32-capped USMNT player insists that “Ricardo has a big future at PSV.” But what does the future hold for Sergino Dest?
The young man is still on the books of Barca but his one-year loan deal to the 24-time Eredivisie champions gives them an option to buy the defender for 10 million euros. The deal would be smart business but the Spanish giants still have the right to bring him back home and of course, Dest will also get to weigh in on his future.
The big question is whether or not Barcelona wants him back. Or perhaps it could be whether or not he wants to return to the club where things didn’t go very well for him. In his two years at Camp Nou, Dest had trouble nailing down a starting spot and so was loaned out to AC Milan the following season, where he again failed to impress.
Asked about where he sees his future, the former Ajax Academy graduate would only say, “I can’t say what I’m doing next,” but insisted that his heart is currently in Eindhoven where he is focused and proclaimed, “I want to win the championship with PSV.”
The player they already have signed until 2025 could be the solution to their left-back dilemma. Alejandro Balde, until recently, has been holding down that position but appears to have become complacent without any competition and because of that, has seen less playing time. Xavi appears to have lost faith in the Spaniard as he has become less effective over time, especially with his balls into the opponent’s box where they never seem to find a Barcelona shirt.
Joao Cancelo, who is on loan from Manchester City, has been picking up the slack. Dest is a very similar player to Cancelo however; they can both play at the right and left back positions, and both can score goals. The Portuguese defender is more disciplined on the field, however, as well as being more experienced but that comes with time and he is six years Dest’s senior.
At the moment, the American is having a massive season at PSV and will continue to improve if he is under the right management. The current Barca coach could be the one to bring Dest along and make him the world class player he is capable of becoming.
Dest may not know where his future lies after the current season, but one thing is certain, he has a very strong chance of leaving Philips Stadion with a championship medal in his pocket.
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