During Saturday’s match against Strasbourg—a 3-1 victory in the seventh round of Ligue 1—18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Dro Fernandez delivered a performance much like those he has shown since arriving from FC Barcelona last January. There were flashes of technical brilliance and plenty of determination, but also inconsistency and struggles in physical duels. This has led L’Équipe to report a sense of “tension” within the club, affecting both the youth academy and the professional squad.
“His recruitment has caused confusion among the academy players”
“Internally, the situation surrounding the Spaniard has created some tension—particularly within the youth academy. His arrival has caused confusion among the titis (PSG academy players): based on what Dro has shown so far, several young players and coaches believe there are other equally promising prospects, and that his presence is blocking the path for those developed at the club.
The departures of Mathis Jangeal to Famalicão—whose profile differs from Dro’s—and, more notably, Aymen Assab to Monaco, have been perceived by some as consequences of the Spaniard’s arrival.”
“Within the professional squad, the way Dro is being managed has raised questions when compared to other players”
“Furthermore, within the professional squad, the management of Dro has raised questions when compared to how other players—such as Senny Mayulu or Quentin Ndjantou—are handled. Some believe he is receiving preferential treatment, partly due to the identity of his agent, the Spaniard Iván de la Peña, who also represents Luis Enrique. Dro will now have to develop and improve within this environment.”
Indeed, Dro’s arrival at PSG has raised questions regarding the club’s youth development setup. A young player—an interesting prospect, though yet to truly establish himself in the professional ranks—arrives and occupies a spot, even as such opportunities are already scarce. This could well have contributed to the departures of some Titis (Paris Saint-Germain academy products).
However, one might get the impression that the sports newspaper is somewhat overstating the concerns. This tendency to stir up controversy—based on evidence of varying solidity—is nothing new. For instance, the piece mentions that Senny Mayulu (20) and Quentin Ndjantou (19) are feeling unsettled; yet, the former has struggled for form since the summer and recently sustained an injury during the international break, while the latter has only just returned from a long-term injury and clearly lacked match fitness during the first friendly game.
Furthermore, Dro has shown genuine promise. His technical quality and vision are evident. While he may currently lack a degree of power and consistency, these are attributes that develop with playing time. Perhaps this player simply needs space to grow—especially considering that promising Titis who successfully break through are, in reality, quite rare. Moreover, neither Jangeal nor Assab has exactly set the world on fire in the early stages of this season.
