SERGIÑO DEST: OUR FOCUS

He is a quick, dynamic, technical full-back who loves to carry the ball and get forward to join the attack. These are the main characteristics of AC Milan's new signing Sergiño Dest, who has been brought in to reinforce Stefano Pioli's back line. Versatility and hard work are two more traits that define Sergiño, who has often been deployed further up the pitch on both wings. Completing the USA international's repertoire is speed in transition and great spacial awareness.

Sergiño was born on 3 November 2000 in Almere, a city of 200,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands, and took his first steps in football at his hometown club, Almere City, before moving to Ajax in 2012. He made his debut for the Dutch giants in July 2019, starting the final of the Dutch Super Cup against rivals PSV Eindhoven, which Ajax won 2-0. After making his debut, Dest nailed down a starting berth out wide for the Amsterdam-based outfit and was named Talent of the Year in 2019/20.

He then left the talent factory that is Ajax to join Barcelona the following season. He has been a starter for the Calatan club for the past two campaigns, making a total of 72 appearances and chipping in with three goals and five assists. He is young, as are many of the current Rossoneri squad, but he already has experience of European football: Dest has made 16 appearances in the Champions League, scoring for the Blaugrana away at Dinamo Kyiv.

On an international level, the new AC Milan man decided to represent the USA, the country of his father's birth and has played at all levels from Under-17 to the USMNT, for whom he made his debut in September 2019. To date, Sergiño has won 17 caps and scored twice for the USMNT, with whom he won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2019/20. 

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