Barcelona defender Sergino Dest has been omitted from the Catalans' squad for their La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano, amid speculation linking him with Manchester United.
US international Dest, a right-back, has become one of United boss Erik ten Hag's prime summer targets amid questions over the futures of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot.
Wan-Bissaka, a £50m signing from Crystal Palace in 2019, has long been seen as failing to possess the offensive characteristics that Ten Hag wants from his right full-back, while Dalot has found his level continually questioned.
Dest, 23, is seen as a perfect replacement for both, and played under Ten Hag at Ajax for a season before his switch to Barca in 2020.
The Dutch-born full-back has made 72 appearances for Barca across two seasons, but finds himself out of the squad for Saturday night's clash.
Despite his omission though, Dest's agent Joes Blakborn claims that his client is happy to stay at the club and fight for his future, telling ESPN that: "despite interest from other clubs, [Dest] will be a part of Barcelona's future this season."
Barca had faced a race against time to register their summer signings for the match amid ongoing financial concerns, but on Friday confirmed that Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen had all been registered with La Liga as the club's players.
Jules Kounde, the signing from Sevilla, is still to be registered and so has failed to make the squad.
Ten Hag is known to be frustrated with a lack of new additions to United, where Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen has arrived this summer, although a right-back, central midfielder and forward are still on the agenda.
Frenkie de Jong, a long-term Ten Hag target, is in the Barca squad for the Rayo game, as is forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has been linked with Chelsea.
Ten Hag, who takes his side to Brentford on Saturday, discussed the club's fortunes in the market on Friday.
“Of course there are developments in the transfer market [that may cause compromises] but still we have to get the players in who can contribute and not get players in who cannot do what we want to with the squad we have and then improve the team," he said.
"We cooperate well [with club executives] and it is to my satisfaction. [But] it was better to get the players earlier because now in the department of midfield and [attack] you have seen when we have one injury then we have a problem. That’s clear.”
When asked on whether the club had had a "disaster" of a summer in the market, Ten Hag added: “No. Of course it would be my preference because we could be starting the process earlier [making these signings], that’s quite clear but the season is long and you have to get in the right players.”
