Barcelona, Sergino Dest Agree to 5-Year Contract with €400m Buyout Clause

Barcelona announced the signing of American right-back Sergino Dest on Wednesday from Eredivisie club Ajax.

ESPN's Tom Hamilton reported the transfer fee was €21 million with a potential €5m in add-ons, and his new five-year contract with Barca includes a €400 million buyout clause.

Dest also received interest from reigning Bundesliga and Champions League winners Bayern Munich before being convinced to join Barcelona by Ronald Koeman, the club's new manager, per Hamilton.

The 19-year-old defender enjoyed a breakout 2019-20 season with Ajax, which earned him a pivotal role with 25 appearances between the Eredivisie and the Champions League.

Last October, he announced his intention to represent the United States rather than his native Netherlands, a decision he explained to Hamilton in January.

"A lot of people only want you when it's going well," Dest said. "The USMNT helped me when it didn't go well, and I'm thankful for that. They helped me through hard times, and if they hadn't given me a chance, maybe I wouldn't be here now with Ajax. Maybe I'd never have reached this level."

The rising star arrives at Camp Nou with the opportunity to compete with Sergi Roberto for a starting spot at right-back.

He joins a growing list of young USMNT players who are earning extensive roles with European clubs:

It lends hope the USMNT will be able to move past the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup by ushering in a new core over the next two years.

Meanwhile, Dest is the latest move in a busy transfer window for Barca, who are coming off a rare trophyless campaign that sparked the exit of several high-profile players, including Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic, Arthur and Nelson Semedo.

The roster turnover gives him a chance to quickly establish himself as a key fixture in the starting XI for the foreseeable future.