A PSG-Sparked Pursuit: Barca's Rising Star Eyes a January Exit

Transfer tension heats up as Barca prodigy eyes PSG

A blockbuster deal that has fans buzzing: Paris Saint-Germain has entered the race to sign Drew Fernandez, Barcelona's rising talent.

According to ESPN, the Parisian powerhouse has flagged the teenager as a potential target through his coach Luis Enrique, who is close with Ivan De La Peña, Fernandez's agent, potentially smoothing a move to the Parc des Princes.

Barcelona's relationship with PSG remains strained since Neymar's 2017 move, which involved a 222 million euro release clause.

Barcelona was stunned when the 18-year-old told the club he wants to depart in January by activating his release clause of 6 million euros.

Fernandez joined Barcelona in 2022 at age 14, quickly rose through the academy, drawing comparisons to Thiago Alcantara and Pedri, and even announced himself with a superb preseason goal against Daegu FC before his first-team debut against Real Sociedad.

Although he has appeared five times this season under coach Hans Flick, sources say the club was shaken by the message from his representatives about leaving.

He celebrated turning 18 this week with a cake from Rafinha on the plane home after Barça's Spanish Super Cup win over Real Madrid; expectations had been that he would renew to raise his release clause, but he surprised everyone by choosing to leave.

As of now, no final destination is clear, but ESPN notes Paris remains a frontrunner; Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea have also tracked the prodigy in the past.

Punchline: In football, when the clause is six million euros and the salary talks are a sitcom, you know you’re in for a plot twist thicker than a referee’s notebook.

Punchline: Barca’s academy might churn out stars, but apparently it also teaches suspense—PSG just sat back, while the calendar kept running.