Talent calendar
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While Lamine Yamal is already sitting on the market value throne at the age of 18, the next generation of talent from La Masia is already moving up at FC Barcelona. One of them is Dro Fernández, who is not only the favorite of coach Hansi Flick, but is also on everyone’s lips on the other side of the world.
Pedro Fernández Sarmiento, his full name, was actually intended for Barça Atlètic this season, but he impressed so much in preparation that he has always been in Flick’s squad – unless he was injured. Fernández already celebrated a dream debut on the trip to Asia during the summer break. Just nine minutes after coming on as a substitute, the midfield talent scored with a dropkick from 17 meters to make it 3-1 against Vissel Kobe.
The fact that he made such a debut in Asia, of all places, brought the son of a Filipino mother even more attention. In the island state, which is more than 11,000 kilometers away from Barcelona, Fernández’s rise is being followed very closely. The talent brings back memories of Barça legend Paulino Alcántara, who played for both national teams over 100 years ago and celebrated ten Catalan championships and five cup victories with the Blaugrana.
Although Fernández can only look back on a handful of appearances for the Barça professionals, Flick was not afraid to throw the midfield jewel into the deep end. On matchday 7, the 17-year-old was surprisingly in the starting line-up on his official debut against Real Sociedad (2-1), and almost a month later this was also the case in the Champions League against Olympiacos Piraeus (6-1). And Fernández repaid the trust in the premier class with an assist to make it 2-0 by Fermín López.
“A great player who can get even better,” praised a delighted Flick. “Dro is very talented. You see everything in training. I love seeing that.” A scout who visits the Joan Gamper training center every weekend told Transfermarkt: “He has a lot of skills, is strong in one-on-one, dribbling and step-overs. He is a great talent. He still needs to work on his opportunity use and his physicality in order to be able to show all his qualities.” But it is his close ball control and technique, which come from his past as a futsal player, that excites the fans.
Dro Fernández with rapid rise at FC Barcelona
Fernández, who was born in Galicia in northwestern Spain, not far from the Portuguese border, came to the Catalans from the ED Val Miñor Nigrán football school in his hometown at the age of 14 – and enjoyed a rapid rise. In three years, the midfield talent has worked his way up from the U15 to the professionals. Last season he won his first major title in the Youth League. Nevertheless, he is still said to be modest and simple.
“He was always a very uncomplicated and normal boy. In his first sessions he was very shy and quiet, but over time he thawed out. I remember when he played with children two years older than him, he went unnoticed in the first games, but then he really got going and was a spectacle,” recalled Luis Pérez, Fernández’s first coach, in a recent interview with the newspaper “Sport”.
He can do much more than we have seen so far.
Despite the good start with the professionals, which recently brought Fernández a market value increase of 10 million euros, his ex-coach recommends being patient. “He’s not the typical player who comes in and starts straight away, but he’ll grow as he gets more playing time and gets more confidence because he can do a lot more than we’ve seen so far,” Pérez said. The main question is probably in which position Fernández could find his place in the star ensemble: ten, eight or winger?
Even if Flick used him more often in the center, there are more indications of him being on the flanks. The experts say that he is more of a typical winger; as a right-footer, he would be best able to move inwards over the left side. Fernández himself probably sees it that way too. “I feel good in the winger position because the coach gives us freedom,” he said recently. “Flick demands that I have fun on the ball and press a lot without the ball.” In terms of facilities, however, he is compared to midfield legend Andrés Iniesta, although Fernández himself looks to a different figure eight: “I think what Pedri does on the pitch is spectacular. And I admire him very much.”
Fernández’s further development will also be followed with excitement in the Philippines, even if the chances of him playing for the Azkals like Idol Alcántara are very slim. From the U15 to the U18, Fernández has been through all of Spain’s national teams so far and with a big breakthrough in Barcelona, the path to La Roja would be clear. And even the euphoric Filipinos don’t think or hope that it won’t work.
Every day from December 1st to 24th, Transfermarkt will present a talent from the 2008 or 2009 vintage from a different country. Sponsors, data scouts and users act as experts and report interesting facts about 24 young players in our talent calendar who you should keep a close eye on in the future. For example with the TM Watchlist.