When the train from Barcelona pulls into the station, you take it, because those types of opportunities don’t come along too often.
That has to be behind the thinking of Sergino Dest when the 19-year-old was being courted by the Catalans.
Playing well for Ajax was always going to raise a few eyebrows across Europe, and it was Barca who were the successful outfit in terms of securing the youngster’s services.
Given his relatively tender years, it appears that there have been some people keen to tell Dest that he’s made the leap to the blaugranes too early in his career.
For now, the American isn’t listening.
“There are some people who say that I went to Barca too early,” he told Voetbal International, cited by Sport.
“But that’s like learning Spanish. How much better and faster will you get if you go to Spain?
“Well, it’s the same with football. At Barca I can grow and reach a level higher in a faster way.”
Given how well he played against Real Madrid in El Clasico, Dest already looks right at home in Ronald Koeman’s system, and it’s frightening thought that he’ll likely get much better in due course.
Barcelona might well have found their natural replacement for Dani Alves at last.