FC Barcelona Still Have Signings Planned After Sergino Dest Raid

FC Barcelona still have new signings planned prior to the close of the current transfer window, after snatching Sergino Dest from the grasp of continental rivals Bayern Munich.

At the 19-year-old’s unveiling on Friday, swiftly made following a 21mn capture from Ajax, sporting director Ramon Planes was questioned on a number of targets.

And while Eric Abidal’s replacement remained coy on further acquisitions, SPORT report on Saturday that Dest “won’t be the last” to rock up at the Camp Nou prior to the closing of the window on October 5.

Constantly linked with his boyhood outfit over the summer, and refusing to sign a contract extension at Manchester City, Eric Garcia is considered the long term heir to Gerard Pique and Barca are desperate to bring him home.

Over at Mundo Deportivo, they claim that the Catalans have increased their offer by 10mn for the central defender, who can walk on a free at the end of June.

But yesterday, at his prematch press conference ahead of a clash with Leeds United this afternoon, Pep Guardiola was no clearer on the 19-year-old’s future.

“Today he’s our player, on Monday finishes the transfer window so I don’t know, I don’t know exactly what is going to happen,” said the former Barca manager.

“I know he wants to live there, I know Barcelona wants him but I think there’s no deal between the clubs. This is what I know right now, so how it is going to finish I don’t know.”

Meanwhile to facilitate this deal, FCB are trying to push Jean-Clair Todibo through the exit door as part of an 18mn switch to Fulham – a prospect the young Frenchman isn’t thrilled at.

Ansu Fati’s three-goal-in-two-matches exploits since the start of La Liga show that a natural ‘9’ is perhaps not needed since Luis Suarez was driven out of the club to domestic rivals Atletico Madrid.

Especially with his Samuel Eto’o-esque opener at Celta Vigo, in a gritty 3-0 win on Thursday, the 17-year-old demonstrated a striker’s eye for goal that Memphis Depay doesn’t have.

Still Koeman is insistent on being reunited with his former Netherlands national team charge, but the operation might be tricky to pull off considering the hard-nosed resolve of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.