Background and career
Sergiño Gianni Dest (; born November 3, 2000) is a professional soccer player who plays as a full-back for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the United States national team. He is known for his dribbling, pace, and offensive ability. Dest began his professional career with Jong Ajax after featuring in the club's youth academy, later debuting with the Ajax senior team in July 2019. He won the Ajax Talent of the Year award in 2020. He transferred to Barcelona in October 2020 for a fee of €21 million, winning the 2020–21 Copa del Rey and was he named to the 2020 IFFHS World Youth (U20) Team. He went on loans to AC Milan in 2022 and PSV Eindhoven in 2023, winning the 2023–24 Eredivisie. He moved permanently to the club in June 2024. Dest debuted for the United States national team in September 2019 and won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023, and 2024. He won the 2019 U.S. Young Soccer Player of the Year award.
Dest was born in Almere to Surinamese-American father Kenneth Dest and a Dutch mother. Kenneth Dest was born in Suriname and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was young, settling in Brooklyn, and eventually naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
Dest played for the youth academy of Almere City until 2012, when he moved to the Ajax youth academy. Initially a forward, he progressed through the ranks of the club until making the switch to a full-back.
Dest debuted for Jong Ajax on October 15, 2018, in a 2–1 loss against Jong PSV. Dest impressed over the course of the 2018–19 season, making 18 appearances in the Dutch Eerste Divisie and tallying one goal and two assists. He also scored one goal and provided one assist in seven appearances in the prestigious UEFA Youth League. On July 27, 2019, Dest made his debut for the Ajax first team in an official game when he started the 2019 Johan Cruyff Shield match against rivals PSV Eindhoven. Ajax won the match 2–0 and claimed the trophy. On August 10, 2019, Dest debuted in the Eredivisie, replacing Noussair Mazraoui in the 54th minute of Ajax's 5–0 home win against Emmen. He also appeared as a substitute in qualifying matches for the UEFA Champions League against PAOK and APOEL. In September, Dest was officially promoted to the Ajax first-team squad. On September 17, 2019, he made his first start in the Champions League against Lille, a match which Ajax won 3–0. Dest finished his first senior season with 35 appearances in which he scored two goals—both in a KNVB Cup fixture against Telstar. For his performances, he won the 2020 Ajax Talent of the Year award and finished 14th in the Golden Boy award voting.
On October 1, 2020, Dest transferred to Barcelona for an initial €21 million fee plus a further €5 million in variables. He signed a five-year contract with the club with a buyout clause set at €400 million. Dest made his debut for Barcelona on October 4, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Jordi Alba in a 1–1 draw against Sevilla. With the appearance, Dest became the first American to appear for Barcelona in La Liga. On October 20, he became the first American to play for Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League match. Later that month, Dest set another milestone, becoming the first American to play in El Clásico; Barcelona fell in a 1–3 defeat to rivals Real Madrid, but Dest's performance in the match was praised. On November 25, 2020, Dest scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 4–0 away win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stage. In doing so, Dest became the first American to score a professional goal for the club. On March 21, 2021, he scored a brace in a 6–1 away win over Real Sociedad.
On September 1, 2022, Dest signed for Serie A club AC Milan on a one-year loan with option to buy for €20 million. Dest made his Serie A debut on September 17, in a match against Napoli. He entered the match at halftime, replacing Davide Calabria.
