PSG finalizes acquisition of young talent Dro Fernández from Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain have finalized the acquisition of Barcelona’s promising young player Dro Fernández after activating his €8 million ($9.5 million) release clause from the LaLiga club.
Fernández, 18, surprised Barça this month by announcing his desire to leave the team in January in pursuit of more consistent playing time.
“I’m very happy and very proud to be joining Paris Saint-Germain. This is a moment of huge pride for me and for my family,” Dro stated during his introduction with PSG. “I’m extremely excited and motivated to play and to give everything for this shirt.”
A number of leading European clubs expressed interest in acquiring the young talent, but PSG has secured his signature, with the French club’s manager, Luis Enrique, playing a significant role in finalizing the agreement.
According to sources, Luis Enrique, who shares an agent with Fernández, Iván de la Peña, communicated with the player via phone and persuaded him to relocate to France.
Fernández’s choice has not been well received by Barça manager Hansi Flick, who has shown considerable faith in the attacking midfielder, often compared to Thiago Alcantara and Pedri.
Flick included Fernández, who joined Barça’s academy at the age of 14 in 2022, in the preseason tour of Asia last summer, where he scored during the victory over Daegu FC, and has given him his debuts in both LaLiga and the Champions League this season.
After Fernández informed him of his decision to leave last weekend, Flick expressed that he did not want players who were not fully committed and suggested that “people around” the player had significantly influenced his decision.
However, sources indicated to ESPN that Fernández does not perceive a clear route to first-team football at Barça, particularly within Flick’s formation, which primarily utilizes a 4-2-3-1 setup, featuring Frenkie de Jong and Pedri at the midfield’s base.
In Flick’s system, Fernández’s optimal position would be as a No. 10, where he has seen Fermín López, Dani Olmo, and Raphinha take up the playing time, or possibly on the wing, though he would ultimately prefer to play as a No. 8.
Despite making five appearances for the first team this season, he has only accumulated 148 minutes of play, with his most recent appearance being as a substitute against Atlético Madrid on Dec. 2.
Like Flick, the club was taken aback by Fernández’s decision, sources told ESPN, as there was an expectation that he would sign a new contract with a higher release clause upon turning 18.
He celebrated his 18th birthday on Jan. 12, with teammate Raphinha presenting him with a cake on the flight back from the Spanish Supercopa final in Saudi Arabia, but that will now mark his final moments in Barça colors.
ESPN’s Julien Laurens contributed to this report.
