Ajax youngster Sergino Dest confirms he visited Bayern Munich “to check them out”

Ajax and USMNT youngster Sergino Dest has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer. With Joshua Kimmich’s move to midfield all but permanent at this point, the Bavarians are looking for someone who can challenge Benjamin Pavard for the starter’s spot at right back. While only a rumored target until now, Dest himself has now confirmed Bayern’s interest in buying him.

Apparently, the youngster made the trip to Munich to watch Bayern defeat Hoffenheim 4-3 last month. There was plenty of speculation about the visit at the time, but the player confirmed that he was not invited by the club: (via transfermarkt)

I was there because I have family in Munich. So I thought: If Bayern are interested then I also want to find out a bit about the club. Hence, I thought it would be a good idea to check it all out. But I wasn’t invited by Bayern like it was speculated. I wasn’t invited by Bayern.

Bayern already tried to buy Sergino Dest in the winter, but Ajax refused to let him go. The Dutch giants are hoping to secure a fee of around 30 million euros for the 19-year-old, which is a steep price considering Dest’s age and relative inexperience. While being a regular on the Ajax lineup, Dest isn’t an undisputed starter, and the Eredivise isn’t the same level of competition as the Bundesliga.

However, he’s still a very exciting talent and likely has a high ceiling. Given Bayern’s recent success with North American fullbacks — i.e. Alphonso Davies — it’s no wonder that the club want to capture lightning in a bottle for the second time. Currently, it is expected that Bayern and Ajax could arrive at a deal of around €26m for Dest. We’ll keep you updated as the news develops.