Barely over a year after making his Barcelona debut, Dro Fernández could face off against Hansi Flick in the Champions League. The 18-year-old will almost certainly not start, but could be an option off the bench for Luis Enrique's side. He started in Ligue 1 on Saturday, playing under an hour as PSG came back to beat RC Strasbourg 3-1.
Fernández's decision to leave Barcelona is one of the more puzzling moves in recent years. It was also a rather ugly divorce for a player who had only made five appearances, with both Flick and Joan Laporta publicly criticizing his and his agent's decision. After all, it seemed Fernández was set for a long, successful future in Catalunya.
It wasn't to be. Just months after making his Barcelona debut, reports started to emerge that Fernández could be on the move, despite the fact that the then-17-year-old was becoming an increasingly important player. He had, at this point, made starts in both La Liga and the Champions League, recording his first assist in the latter as Barcelona demolished Olympiacos 6-1.
He officially joined PSG at the end of January, joining just in time for the club's second Champions League title. Fernández, however, played only a minimal role in the triumph, with his lone appearance in the competition being a three-minute cameo in a knockout-stage win over AS Monaco. More chances came in Ligue 1, where PSG rotate heavily to stay fresh for the latter stages of Europe's most prestigious competition.
This season has yielded slightly more promising results on an individual level. Fernández started and played 90 minutes in the Champions League in a 6-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, his first start in the competition since he left Barcelona. He's also started back-to-back in Ligue 1 in wins over Le Mans and Strasbourg.
Fernández could have assisted the opener against Strasbourg, finding Magnes Akliouche in the box after just nine minutes with a beautiful chipped ball. However, Akliouche could not steer his shot on target, and the chance was wasted. After 20 games, Fernández is still searching for his first assist with the Parisians. He needed just two appearances to get his first assist for Barcelona.
There are other potential concerns for the La Masia product's future in Paris. While he's been trusted against lesser opposition, Fernández was an unused substitute earlier this season against Manchester City, despite PSG winning comfortably. Last year was the same story, even in dominant wins over Chelsea and Liverpool.
Even in Ligue 1, he did not appear in Le Classique against hated rivals Olympique Marseille, nor in the season opener, a 2-2 draw with Stade Rennais.
At the same time, reports have emerged from the French newspaper L'Équipe that the Spaniard has caused frustration at the club, receiving preferential treatment over some of his teammates and blocking the pathway for academy talents. The fact that Fernández and manager Luis Enrique share the same agency has not gone unnoticed, either.
To be fair, there's no guarantee that Fernández would have truly emerged at Barcelona last season. After all, the Catalans have two strong options at attacking midfielder in Fermín López and Dani Olmo. Still, he could have certainly played rotation minutes, or potentially filled in as a deeper-lying option. Flick publicly supported him and would have surely found ways to give the youngster opportunities.
Fernández has, at the very least, played a decent number of minutes in Ligue 1 and was part of a Champions League-winning side. He is a fifth- or sixth-choice midfielder at PSG, which, considering the French side has arguably the best midfield in the world, is no mean feat. As the season progresses, he will likely continue to get more minutes and chances to develop.
However, he will not be in the PSG starting eleven to take on his former side, barring a massive surprise. Almost a year after leaving Barcelona, Fernández has yet to really prove that the move — described as a betrayal by Laporta — was worth forcing an exit from his academy club, Champions League medal or not.
Should he come off the bench, Fernández could show his old club what they are missing out on. However, it will not go unnoticed in Catalunya if a talent once promised to be part of Barcelona's future is an unused substitute once again tomorrow.
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