The exclusion of Sergiño Dest from Milan’s Champions League squad suggests that the Rossoneri are unlikely to make his loan move from Barcelona permanent in the summer. The USMNT international joined Milan on loan with a €20 million option to buy, but has struggled for playing time this season.
Stefano Pioli made the decision to exclude Sergiño Dest from Milan’s Champions League squad for the knockout phase and replaced him with Malick Thiaw.. This suggests that Milan is not likely to complete the signing for €20 million.
Sergiño Dest, the USMNT international, struggled with playing time during his time at Barcelona, leading to his loan move to Milan last summer. Dest was brought in to replace the injured Alessandro Florenzi, but his performances have been unimpressive. With only six starts among his 14 appearances, he has yet to score or provide an assist at San Siro.
Milan’s limited transfer budget, with approximately €50 million for new signings, makes it doubtful that they will allocate almost half of that amount to sign a player who does not participate in the second half of the Champions League campaign.
It’s probable that Milan can only make Dest’s move permanent by negotiating a lower transfer fee with Barcelona. With his contract at Camp Nou expiring in June 2025, there is a possibility that Dest could return to Barcelona after the expiration of his loan deal.
In conclusion, Dest’s exclusion from Milan’s Champions League squad, along with his lack of impact on the field, make it likely that the Rossoneri will not make his move permanent. Instead, they may try to negotiate a lower transfer fee with Barcelona or wait for Dest to return to the Catalan club after his loan deal expires.