Sergino Dest admits returning to Barcelona under Xavi is 'too difficult'

Sergino Dest has admitted that he may only have a future at parent club Barcelona if head coach Xavi were to be no longer in charge.

Dest had been a regular under previous Barca boss Ronald Koeman but endured an injury-hit period soon after Xavi took over and suffered an unsuccessful loan at AC Milan last season. He has again been on loan in 2023/24, playing a key role for a PSV Eindhoven side dominating the Eredivisie.

The full-back, who had only played 38 first-team games for Ajax when Barca put down a €26m package to sign him in 2020, has a contract with the Catalans until 2025 but isn't optimistic.

"Only if the situation changes there," he replied to Voetbal International when asked about returning. "Xavi is still there now. So at the moment no, that will be too difficult."

The Dutch-born United States international, who could yet get a reprieve if reports about Xavi facing dressing room unrest ring true, also hinted that he considers playing for PSV only a temporary step down to get his career back on track after coming from Barcelona.

"Every player has his goals and every player wants to play at the top, that also applies to me," he explained. "In the long-term I would like to return to the level where I came from. But a season like this, I just have to enjoy it. So I have my full focus at PSV at the moment. And at the end of the season we will look further. It could go either way. Maybe I'll stay, maybe I'll go."

As well as reaching the Champions League knockout stages for the first since 2016, PSV are well on course to win their first Dutch title in six years after winning all of their first 17 league games to open up a 12-point lead on reigning champions Feyenoord just at the halfway stage.

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