Sergino Dest has officially resigned from AC Milan’s UEFA Champions League squad, much to the dismay of the soccer world. The 19-year-old American defender played an integral role in AC Milan’s resurgence this season and was expected to contribute a great deal to their success in the Champions League.
Dest was born and raised in the Netherlands and had been playing at Ajax since he was a child. He made his debut for Ajax’s first team back in 2018, going on to become an integral part of their system over the next two seasons. His impressive performances earned him a move to one of Europe’s most historic clubs, AC Milan, during this past summer transfer window.
Dest quickly impressed with his performances at the club, slotting into the starting lineup right away and becoming one of their most consistent players throughout the season so far. His pace, technical ability, and defensive acumen made him one of the most sought after young fullbacks in Europe. As such, many were expecting Dest to be an integral part of AC Milan’s Champions League campaign as well.
However, it appears that due to personal reasons Dest won’t be able to feature for AC Milan in this season’s Champions League. This is certainly a huge setback for both player and club alike; for AC Milan it remains to be seen if they can fill Dest’s void within their squad during such a crucial stage of the competition.
Despite missing out on Champions League action with his current club, Dest will still represent his country in international competitions this year. He recently joined up with USMNT ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches wearing his iconic USMNT jersey.
Dest’s departure from AC Milan’s UEFA Champions League squad is definitely unfortunate but should not take away from all he has achieved since joining them last summer; he has proven himself as one of Europe’s premier young defenders despite still being just 19 years old. It will now be interesting to see how he performs for USMNT and which club ends up signing him next—if any—this summer transfer window. Time will tell.
The soccer world will undoubtedly be watching closely as this story develops over the coming months. Hopefully, Dest can work out his issues with AC Milan and make a triumphant return to the Champions League in the near future. Until then, we can only wish him the best of luck in his journey ahead.