Paris Saint-Germain has snatched one of Barcelona’s brightest young stars. Dro Fernandez has signed with the French champions for €8.2 million, and the news has hit Catalonia like a punch to the gut. Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back, calling the transfer an “unpleasant” shock and accusing the teenager’s camp of breaking their word on his future.

PSG made it official on Monday—Fernandez is theirs until 2030, and he’ll wear the No. 27 shirt. He couldn’t hide his excitement either. “I’m very happy and very proud to join Paris Saint-Germain. This is a huge moment for my family,” he told the club’s media. “PSG is a massive club I’ve followed since I was a kid, where legends have made history. I can’t wait to play and give everything for this shirt.”

As for Laporta, the whole thing feels like a betrayal. The relationship between Barcelona and PSG has always been tense, and this move just turned up the chill. Speaking to Catalunya Radio, Laporta sounded genuinely hurt. “We’ll speak when everything is finally settled,” he said. “It’s been an unpleasant situation. We thought we had a plan for Dro when he turned 18: a new agreement. Out of nowhere, his agent told us he couldn’t honour it. We could have fixed this, but now it’s too late.”

For Barcelona, losing Fernandez stings even more because he was on such a rapid rise. Over the past six months, he’d jumped straight into the first team, making it clear that the club saw him as a future pillar. He joined the senior squad for the pre-season tour in South Korea, getting to train with Barca’s biggest names. By September, he’d already made his La Liga debut in a gritty 2-1 win over Real Sociedad.

It got better in October—Fernandez played his first Champions League match and managed to notch an assist in the 6-1 rout of Olympiakos. Five senior appearances, four in La Liga, all before turning 19. For a player to break through so quickly, only to walk away halfway through his breakout year, it’s a huge blow for Barcelona.

This isn’t a new story for Barca fans, though. PSG have a habit of swooping into La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy. They took Xavi Simons in 2019, and the Neymar saga still haunts the club. The €8.2 million fee for Fernandez is a lot for a kid with just a handful of senior games, but PSG clearly see something special. For them, it’s another step in their plan to build with the best young talent, not just buy the biggest names.

For Barcelona, though, the money hardly makes up for losing a homegrown midfielder who was already making a difference. Yes, the club’s financial struggles are no secret, but selling a promising academy product for what feels like a bargain price is a bitter pill to swallow.

Coach Hansi Flick summed it up last week, before the deal was done: “As coaches, we try to give young players confidence so they can grow. I know there are people around him. If he decides to leave, we’ll deal with it. But now’s not the time to talk.”

Now, Fernandez has a fresh start. He’ll try to make his mark on Luis Enrique’s PSG squad and settle into life in Ligue 1. New country, new league, new language—and all eyes on him. But if his short spell in Barcelona’s first team is anything to go by, he’s got the personality to cope. Meanwhile, Barcelona are left picking up the pieces, wondering how a deal they thought was locked in completely fell apart, and watching yet another academy jewel slip through their fingers.

Luis Enrique didn’t hold back after PSG’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. Critics came for him, but he fired right back.

Now, PSG—last year’s champs—still need a good result against Newcastle United in the final group game if they want to lock in a top-eight finish and move on to the last 16. They’re at least safe for the play-offs, but with that two-legged tie waiting for anyone who finishes ninth through twenty-fourth, they can’t risk slipping up against Eddie Howe’s team when Newcastle come to Paris next week.

This all puts pressure on Newcastle, too. They need a positive result against PSV Eindhoven. A win guarantees them a play-off spot. If they pull that off and manage to stun PSG in Paris, they could sneak into the top eight—a huge ask, but not impossible. Remember two years ago? Newcastle almost pulled it off until that wild, controversial penalty right at the end.

That night, United led for most of the match after Alexander Isak scored. Then Tino Livramento got hit with a harsh handball call. The critics piled on, but Kylian Mbappé smashed home the penalty, and the game ended level.

Fast forward to last night. PSG fell behind after a goal from Luis Suarez, then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia brought them level. But Suarez struck again late, and PSG flew home empty-handed.

After the match, Enrique stood his ground. He said his team deserved to win. “It’s simple,” he said. “That’s football. Honestly, this was our best away game this season. We outplayed a strong team, but tonight, for me, only one team was out there, and we should’ve won.

“But you know how it goes. Sometimes football’s just unfair. That’s all I’ve got. You win games by scoring goals—simple as that.

“But I’m proud of my players. Proud of the team. This is the kind of pressure and personality we need when we play away from home.”