The Dro Fernandez soap opera has not yet delivered its outcome. Close to PSG, with whom he already has a contractual agreement for 4 and a half years, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder has still not signed his contract.
According to Catalan sources, his transfer would not be called into question. If the discussions drag on, it is firstly because Barça did not digest the decision of a player that Hansi Flick had started to integrate this season, in particular by making him start a Champions League match against Olympiakos. Above all, as is often the case in such cases, the stakes would be mainly financial.
In Spain, release clauses are legal and must be paid by the player himself – although it is usually his future club who puts up the money. But payment of this clause is taxable at 47%, which increases the bill almost by half.
According to our information which confirms that of the Spanish press, it is on this very precise point that the discussions are currently focused. By transforming the transaction into a classic transfer, the player would not have to pay nearly €3 million additional to lift his clause. We still need to come to an agreement with Barça who, for their part, have every interest in accepting to receive more than the €6 million provided for in the clause. This is the whole subject of the discussions between PSG and the Catalan club.
The player allegedly met Luis Enrique during the Christmas holidays
This is why the file has not yet resulted in an agreement. From one source to another, the amount likely to be requested by the Catalans varies between 8 and 10 million euros. Paris would also have no intention of damaging the good relations it maintains with FC Barcelona.
This is reminiscent of the transfer of Ousmane Dembélé in the summer of 2023, when the future Ballon d’Or lifted his transfer clause to return to France (€50.4 million). The operation then took several weeks to come to fruition, allowing all parties to agree on the accounting entry.
For Dro, all that remains is to agree now to complete the operation and not see this file slip under his nose. Other clubs have made inquiries, but it would be Paris which would continue to hold the rope. According to the Spanish media, everything changed during the Christmas holidays, during a meeting between the young prodigy and Luis Enrique. Both share the same agent, Ivan de la Pena.
In the entourage of the young hopeful born in Galicia, we think that the situation should be able to resolve itself quickly, while the transfer window ends on February 2. In the meantime, Dro Fernandez continues to train away from the squad and is no longer listed as a member of Barcelona’s first team on the Catalan club’s official website.
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