Barcelona have reportedly withdrawn from the race to sign Joao Cancelo, the Manchester City full-back.
Cancelo, who spent the latter part of the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich, is not on the radar of manager Thomas Tuchel for a potential return this summer.
The 29-year-old Portuguese player is also not in favor at City following a highly publicized falling out with Pep Guardiola, which prompted his move to Bayern.
According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona is not interested in pursuing the signing of Cancelo, as it would be an expensive deal for a player who would only arrive on loan.
The Catalan club is apparently waiting to see if the player will push for a move, but for now, with City showing no signs of hastening negotiations and unwilling to let Cancelo go for a low price, Barcelona will explore other alternatives.
This situation could potentially provide an opportunity for Sergino Dest to make his way back into the Barcelona squad. Dest, who had a disappointing loan spell at AC Milan, is the only remaining member of a group of five players that were set to depart but have not yet done so or reached agreements elsewhere, as reported by Marca.
Samuel Umtiti and Francisco Trincao have already left the club, and Clement Lenglet and Alex Collado are expected to follow suit.
With Dest’s future still uncertain, he might be given a chance during the pre-season to prove himself and regain his place in the team. However, it is likely that he would serve as a backup considering the number of players already available to play in the full-back positions.
The recent acquisition of Inigo Martinez as a center-back opens up the possibility of Marcos Alonso featuring more frequently as a left-back this season, sharing responsibilities with Alex Balde. Additionally, Jules Kounde and Sergi Roberto are both viable options on the other flank.
Dest returns to Barcelona after a frustrating stint in Italy, where he struggled for playing time under Stefano Pioli at AC Milan. Despite the team transitioning from a four-man defense to a three-man backline during the season, Dest was unable to secure a spot in the starting lineup, regardless of the tactical setup.
Davide Calabria was consistently preferred as the primary right-back, while Alexis Saelemaekers and Junior Messias were chosen as wing-backs ahead of Dest.
Dest’s most recent appearance for the club was in a 4-0 defeat to Lazio in January when he deputized for the injured Theo Hernandez at left-back.
Since then, the United States international has only played three matches, all of which were for his national team.