Talents Calendar
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While Lamine Yamal is the most valuable player in the world at 18, Barcelona already have the next talents coming from La Masia in the pipeline. One of them is Dro Fernández, who is not only among Hansi Flick’s favorites but also famous on the other end of the planet.
Pedro Fernández Sarmiento is his full name, and he was initially supposed to play for Barça Atlétic in the fourth division. But he exceeded expectations during the preseason, and when fit was always in Flick’s selection. It all kicked off during Barça’s trip to Asia last summer, where Fernández had a dream debut. Just nine minutes after being brought on, the midfielder scored in spectacular fashion from 17 meters out against Vissel Kobe (3-1).
The fact that he made his debut in Asia brought even more attention, as his mother is from the Philippines. Although 11,000km away from Barcelona, the progress of the young talent is being closely monitored in the Philippines. The young talent brings back memories of Paulino Alcántara, who 100 years ago played for both national teams and went on to win 10 Catalan championships and 5 cups.
Although Fernández has played only a few games for Barça, Flick has no problem starting the teenager in important matches. On matchday 7, the 17-year-old made his starting XI debut against Real Sociedad (2-1). One month later, he made his debut in the Champions League against Olympiacos Piraeus (6-1). And Fernández had an immediate impact by providing an assist when Fermín López made it 2-0.
“He is a great player who will just get better,” Flick said. “Dro is very talented. You can see it in training. I love to see it.” A scout who watches the player in every training session at Barça’s training center, Joan Gampar, said to Transfermarkt: “He has many positive attributes. Is strong one-on-one, has good dribbling, and fantastic step overs. He is a big talent. He has to work on his physical attributes and needs to learn to finish better.” What also stands out are his abilities on the ball and his technique, which he perfected while playing futsal as a kid.
Dro Fernández with a rapid rise at Barcelona
Born in Galicia, not far from the border to Portugal, Fernández joined Barça from ED Val Miñor Nigrán and quickly ascended through the ranks. In three years, he worked his way from the U15s to the first team. Last season, he helped his club win the Youth League. Despite all that, he is known for being humble.
“He was always an uncomplicated, normal boy,” his first coach, Luis Pérez, said in an interview with Sport. “He was quite shy in his first training sessions, but with time, he got used to his surroundings. I can remember seeing him play with kids two years older than him. At first you wouldn’t notice him, and then he would get started, and it was spectacular.”
Despite a good start with the first team that also earned him a market value increase of €10m, his former coach suggests more patience when it comes to Fernández’s development. “He isn’t a typical player who will right away leave a mark, but with more playing time, his confidence will grow, because he can do even more than he has already shown,” Pérez added. The main question remains about his best position. Is he a no.10, a no.8, or a winger?
Although Flick often uses him in the middle, Fernández might be best on the wing. He appears to be a typical winger; experts suggest that he might be best used on the left, where his right foot could be a real weapon. Fernández also seems to prefer that option. “I feel comfortable playing on the wing because the coach gives me the freedom to be creative there,” Fernández said. “Flick wants me to have my ball on the foot and to press against the ball.” Because of his attributes, he is often compared with central midfielder Andrés Iniesta. But Fernández himself points to another no.8 when looking for comparable players. “I think what Pedri is doing on the pitch is spectacular,” Fernández said. “It is spectacular.”
Fernández’s development is indeed being followed with some anticipation in the Philippines, even if the chances are small that he will follow in Alcántara’s footsteps and play for the Azkals. From the U15 to the U18, Fernández has represented Spain, and if his path continues at Barça, then he will likely feature for the senior team soon.
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2008 and 2009. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.