Manchester City launch explosive shock bid for Barcelona’s key midfielder in a high-stakes winter transfer coup.
Pep Guardiola’s return to his former club sees Manchester City leading a multi-club chase, ready to finalise a deal in days that has left Hansi Flick reeling.
Barcelona scramble with a last-ditch retention effort after the youngster’s Friday morning bombshell.
That midfielder is 18-year-old Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernández, who joined Barcelona’s academy from ED Val Miñor Nigrán in 2022 and broke into the first team this season with five appearances, including Champions League minutes and one assist.
Turning 18 on January 12th activated his €6m release clause, which he now intends to trigger despite Flick’s promotion during last summer’s Asia tour—prompted by City’s initial lucrative offer.
Dro’s camp prioritises regular playing time, with City’s project, commitment, and Guardiola’s pull proving decisive.
El Desmarque reports Manchester City as the frontrunners among suitors, including Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, with the deal potentially sealed imminently.
Barcelona’s stalled renewal talks and Flick’s sparing use—148 minutes total—have convinced Dro that continuity elsewhere outweighs Camp Nou promises.
The club views him as a future cornerstone, blending vision and technique akin to Pedri, but a lack of starts behind Fermín López and Dani Olmo shifted dynamics.
Flick learned of the decision mid-flight from Saudi Arabia post-Super Cup win, sparking surprise and unease at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona plans a final push to retain him, potentially raising the clause or offering guarantees, but City’s superior terms and Dro’s resolve suggest departure looms.
For Pep Guardiola, reuniting with a talent he eyed last summer completes a masterstroke, bolstering City’s youth influx.
Barcelona face another painful academy exit for €6m, testing Flick’s youth integration amid financial pressures.
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