U.S. men's national team defender Sergino Dest says he will "definitely" stay with Barcelona this summer amid links with a departure from the La Liga giants.
The former Ajax defender has been linked with Chelsea during the summer transfer window and, dating back to last season, Dest has been the subject of transfer rumours as he looks to lock down a more consistent place under Xavi.
However, Dest says he has no plans to leave as he's happy to fight for his place at Barcelona.
What did Dest say?
"I'm not thinking about transfers at the moment," Dest said when asked about links to Chelsea.
"I'm happy at this club, so I will definitely stay here."
Dest's claim comes after his agent told beIN Sports that his client's name has not come up in talks between Barca and Chelsea.
The Catalan club has reportedly been in discussions with Chelsea over potential moves for Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.
An important pre-season
Dest is now entering his third season with Barcelona, having made 72 appearances across his first two campaigns despite dealing with a hamstring injury last season.
However, this pre-season is a bit different than the last two with the World Cup looming large.
Dest will be looking to prove himself to Xavi in order to seal consistent minutes as he looks to be in good form before joining the USMNT in Qatar.
"For me, personally, I really need to get fit," Dest said. "I came back from an injury I had two injuries last year on one side, so I don't want any injuries anymore.
"I'm taking this really serious. I want to make sure that I can play the whole season without any injuries. This preseason is really important for me, and I think, as well, for everyone because it's just the basis for the whole season."
He added: "It's going to be a great season for all of us. Personally, for the ones that have a World Cup coming up, we all can't wait to play that as well."
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