"Flick had taken Dro on Barcelona's preseason tour last summer, handed him his LaLiga debut in September, and a first UEFA Champions League start in October. However, after experiencing that taste of football at the top level, Dro was left wanting more. And with minutes in the first team hard to come by, the teenager made the surprise decision to seek regular football elsewhere, sending shockwaves through the club."
"This week, Dro's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed, with sources telling ESPN that the French club even paid slightly more than his €6 million release clause to sign him. That clause meant Barça could do nothing to prevent the move, which hurt even more given the involvement of club's former player and coach Luis Enrique, who is now PSG manager."
"When the news broke the German coach initially said he did not want to speak about the issue until the transfer was "done." However, throughout that same news conference, he referenced the influence of others around the player, the confidence he had shown in him and a desire to only work with those who want to be at the club."
Flick invested significant time developing 18-year-old midfielder Pedro 'Dro' Fernández, including preseason tour, a LaLiga debut and a Champions League start. After tasting top-level football, Dro sought regular minutes and decided to leave Barcelona due to limited first-team opportunities. Paris Saint-Germain confirmed his signing and reportedly paid slightly more than his €6 million release clause, preventing Barcelona from blocking the transfer. The move was complicated by the involvement of Luis Enrique, now PSG manager. Flick reacted with visible anger, noting outside influences on the player, expressing disappointment after giving Dro opportunities and insisting players must be fully committed to Barcelona.
Read at ESPN.com
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