Why has Dro Fernández, Barcelona’s top prospect, gone to PSG?

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has invested so much time with Pedro “Dro” Fernández that he could hardly believe it when the 18-year-old midfielder told him he was leaving the club.

Flick took Dro on Barcelona’s pre-season tour last summer, gave him his La Liga debut in September and a first UEFA Champions League start in October. However, after getting a taste of football at the highest level, Dro wanted more. And with first-team minutes hard to come by, the teenager made the surprise decision to look to play regularly elsewhere, sending shockwaves through the club.

This week, Dro’s move to Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed, with sources telling ESPN that the French club even paid slightly more than his €6 million release clause to sign him. This clause meant that Barca could do nothing to prevent the move, which hurt even more given the involvement of the club’s former player and coach Luis Enrique, now manager of PSG.

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Dro’s unexpected departure made Flick angry, club sources told ESPN. When the news broke, the German coach initially said he did not want to talk about the issue until the transfer was “done”. However, throughout that same press conference he referred to the influence of others around the player, the trust he had shown in him and the desire to only work with those who want to be at the club.

“If you want to play with Barca, you have to go 100% and with all your heart,” he said. “Everyone else I don’t want.”

Flick, usually placid in public, spoke while the news was still raw; Dro had only let him know that week that he would be leaving. Club sources told ESPN that Flick had asked him to think about it. But the next day, Dro reiterated the same position, explaining that the decision was based solely on footballing and not financial reasons.

Flick ordered him to leave the first team dressing room; In the meantime and his transfer to PSG, he trained alone. At the same time, Dro’s agent, former Barça midfielder Ivan de la Peña, who is also Luis Enrique’s agent and close friend, communicated the decision to sporting director Deco, who was also surprised.

Barça had planned to give Dro a new contract. They were waiting for him to turn 18, which he did after the Spanish Super Cup final victory over Real Madrid earlier in January. On the flight back from Saudi Arabia, the club shared a video of teammate Raphinha giving him a cake while the team sang ‘Happy Birthday’. This is the last time he was seen in Barça colors.

Sources close to the negotiations said negotiations over a new contract never really got off the ground, adding that Barca should be blamed because they could have acted more quickly, knowing how feasible the €6 million clause was for Europe’s biggest teams. Barca president Joan Laporta rejected the proposal, saying on Sunday that a renewal deal was close.

Dro leaves after making five appearances for Barca, although he has not played since coming off the bench against Atlético Madrid on December 2. Sources close to the player explained that he felt his path to regular football at Barca was obstructed.

Flick plays a system with two deep central midfielders and a No.10, which did not suit his best qualities. The same sources said that Dro is most comfortable as one of two advanced midfielders in front of a holding midfielder. Even as a number 10 in Flick’s line-up, minutes were not available, with Fermín López, Dani Olmo and Raphinha among those used ahead of him. Dro was also used on the outside, but sources said 149 minutes of football – and just 88 touches of the ball – did not represent blind faith in him from the coaching staff.

Sources close to the player told ESPN that during several conversations with Luis Enrique, Dro was convinced that PSG would be a better fit for him at this stage of his career. The reigning European champions weren’t the only ones following him: Manchester City, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich had all previously expressed interest. When news of his departure leaked, sources said several teams called De la Peña to check on the situation; clubs that previously considered a deal impossible have been awakened by the possibility of signing Dro. Sources close to the player insisted the deal with PSG was not done at this stage, but it is now clear negotiations were already advanced.

Dro’s rise accelerated last summer when Arnau Blanco was promoted to Flick’s team after years at the academy, where he had coached Dro. His enthusiasm for the player has rubbed off on Flick and, although club sources said it always happens sooner rather than later, it has accelerated the youngster’s progress.

Dro had joined Barça from Galician club Val Miñor – where Thiago Alcántara had also played – at the age of 14 in 2022. Initially known as “Dro” because his brother couldn’t pronounce his name, it stuck given the number of other Pedros he played with over the years. Real Madrid had also been alerted to his talent, but sources involved in his move to Barca said The Whites “slept” to make a deal.

There are players who lend themselves easily to comparisons. Dro is one of them. Val Miñor coach Javier Roxo told ESPN: “I haven’t seen anyone as technical as Thiago.” [Alcántara]but in terms of vision, Dro is perhaps ahead of him.” Meanwhile, Luis Pérez Barreiro, another former Val Miñor coach, compares him to club legend Andrés Iniesta, while current star Pedri has already dubbed Dro his favorite player at Barça.

Another coach who worked with Dro compared him to Brazilian legend and Ballon d’Or winner Kaká. They told ESPN: “Dro’s understanding of the game is well above average. He has always stood out as a different type of player. I always saw him as being similar to Kaká, even though he played for Real Madrid and AC Milan. [not Barça]”.

Dro, whose Galician father played amateur football and whose mother is from the Philippines, announced himself with a stunning pre-season goal that quickly earned him his competitive La Liga debut. A first Champions League start followed against Olympiacos, where he created a goal for Fermín to become the second youngest player to provide an assist in the competition.

He becomes the latest highly-rated La Masia graduate to leave Barca at a young age. Many are looking for opportunities away from Barça. Some, like Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fàbregas, Eric García and Olmo, eventually returned. Others, notably Jordi Mboula and, to a lesser extent, Ilaix Moriba, never reach the expected level. Meanwhile, the jury is still out on Xavi Simons (now at Tottenham Hotspur) and Marc Guiu (Chelsea) in terms of their possible ceiling in the game.

Time will tell which group Dro belongs to, but PSG are signing one of the most promising youngsters from Barca’s academy over the last five years. Just look at Flick’s reaction to understand what a loss the youngster represents for the club.