Barcelona youngster admits lacking confidence amid constant expectations
Sergino Dest was the only transfer that Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman could make last transfer season and it was a much-needed one. Nelson Semedo was constantly disappointing in the right flank and they needed someone who would be able to handle the wing-back position.
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Koeman had already seen Dest’s performance before at Ajax and believed that he would be the perfect man for Barcelona. However, the American youngster has admitted that he is feeling a little unconfident these days and needs a boost in order to regain his form.
Dest is a 20-year-old right-back who had already caught Koeman’s eyes when the manager was working with the Dutch national team. The former Everton manager had tried to persuade Dest into joining the Netherlands national team but the youngster chose to join the US national team instead.
However, Koeman got to sign him from Ajax for around 21 million euros as he thought that the American would be the perfect replacement for Semedo at the Nou Camp.
The Ajax academy graduate is a very talented player with immense potential. He has a great flair with the ball and skills that could rival some top attackers. He is speedy, has good control, and has a knack for carrying the ball forward to advanced positions.
With these attributes, everyone would want him in their team however, he has not really shined for Barcelona yet. The youngster has only one assist in the league to show for his attacking capabilities and has only managed to keep five clean sheets in 15 league appearances.
Dest admits lacking confidence at Barcelona.
He recently had a muscular problem that kept him away for a couple of games but he is tipped to be back soon. In an interview with La Liga World, Dest talked about his disappointing start to the season and he hopes that he will regain his form soon. He said,
"“For me, it’s important to get that confidence back because I feel a little bit unconfident right now, That’s the most important thing for me right now: get the confidence back and play like I used to play and then I think I have a lot of potential.”Source Goal"
Head Coach Koeman also backed his player by saying that this is just his first season at Barcelona and hopefully he will show his true potential soon. Koeman decided against playing Dest in the match against Elche on Sunday as he had just recovered from injury. In a pre-match press conference, Koeman said,
"“I hope he has no more problems with injuries, can get some rhythm back and provide competition.”"