Barcelona have loaned out out-of-favor full-back Sergino Dest to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, which stands to have a significant impact on the club’s finances.
According to Sergi Cadevilla, who works for Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona initially wanted to sell Dest for good this summer. However, due to a lack of suitors, they have had to settle for a season-long loan deal with a $10.89 million purchase option.
Barcelona will have to keep paying Dest’s wages
It has been reported that PSV Eindhoven will not be paying the entirety of Dest’s wages during his loan spell. They will pay 50%, while the rest will have to come out of Barcelona’s pockets. According to Cadevilla, Barca would have saved around €5 million ($5.45 million) had PSV agreed to assume full payment.
So, as of now, Barca have managed to free $2.72 million from their wage bill. Cash-strapped Barcelona will look to put that money to good use and register a couple of important players, including former Chelsea man Marcos Alonso.
Marcos Alonso linked with exit amid registration turmoil
Alonso, who joined the Camp Nou outfit from Chelsea last summer, proved to be a crucial soldier of Xavi’s platoon as they marched on to La Liga glory in the 2022-23 season. Now, he sees his Barca future in limbo, with the club not yet managing to register him in this season’s roster. As a result, Alonso had to sit out the first two matches of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign.
According to SPORT (via The Daily Mail), Alonso does not want to leave Camp Nou this summer and the club are also keen to keep the 32-year-old around. However, it is unlikely that he would remain patient indefinitely, especially after seeing the club register Ilkay Gundogan shortly after he arrived from Manchester City.
Journalist Gerard Romero has claimed that an unnamed Premier League side have expressed their desire to sign Alonso. It will be interesting to see if the Spaniard is tempted by the prospect of returning to England, especially if there are no positive movements on Barca’s end.
Of course, Alonso is not the only player Barca need to register. Inaki Pena and Inigo Martinez are two other first-team players who are yet to become an official part of the roster. The Spanish champions are now concentrating on the sale of Clement Lenglet, as his departure would take them a lot closer to completing the registrations.
