Sports
Why has Dro Fernández, Barcelona’s top prospect, gone to PSG?
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has invested so much time in Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernández that he could barely believe it when the 18-year-old midfielder told him he was leaving the club.
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.
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Dro’s unexpected departure angered Flick, club sources told ESPN. 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.
“If you want to play with Barça, it has to be 100% with your whole heart,” he said. “All the others, I don’t want.”
Flick, usually placid in public, was speaking while the news was still raw; Dro had only communicated to him that week that he would leave. Club sources told ESPN that Flick asked him to think it over. But the next day, Dro reiterated the same stance, explaining the decision was purely based on football reasons, not financial ones.
Flick ordered him to leave the first-team dressing room; between then and sealing his move to PSG, he trained alone. In parallel, Dro’s agent — former Barça midfielder Ivan de la Peña, who is also Luis Enrique’s agent and close friend — communicated the decision to sporting director Deco, who was equally surprised.
Barça had planned to give Dro a new contract. They were waiting for him to turn 18, which he did so after the Spanish Supercopa final win over Real Madrid earlier in January. On the flight back from Saudi Arabia, the club shared a video of teammate Raphinha giving him a cake as the squad sung “Happy Birthday.” That was the last time he was seen in Barça colors.
Sources close to the negotiations said new contract talks never really got off the ground, adding that Barça should carry some blame there because they could have acted quicker, knowing how attainable the €6 million clause was for Europe’s biggest teams. Barça president Joan Laporta rejected that, claiming Sunday that a renewal agreement had been close.
Dro leaves after making five appearances for Barça, although he had not featured since coming off the bench against Atlético Madrid on Dec. 2. Sources close to the player explained he felt his pathway to regular football at Barça was clogged.
Flick plays a system with two deep-lying central midfielders and a No. 10, which did not suit his best qualities. The same sources said Dro is most comfortable as one of two advanced midfielders in front of a holding midfielder. Even as a No. 10 in Flick’s formation, minutes were not forthcoming, with Fermín López, Dani Olmo and Raphinha among those used ahead of him. Dro was also used out wide, but sources said that 149 minutes of football — and just 88 touches of the ball — did not represent a blind belief in him from the coaching staff.
Sources close to the player told ESPN that, over the course of several conversations with Luis Enrique, Dro was convinced PSG would suit him better at this stage of his career. The reigning European champions weren’t the only club after him: Manchester City, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich had all shown an interest previously. When news leaked that he was leaving, sources said various teams phoned De la Peña to check the situation; clubs that had previously considered a deal impossible were reawakened to the possibility of signing Dro. Sources close to the player insisted the PSG deal was not closed at that point, but it’s now clear talks were already advanced.
Dro’s rise accelerated last summer when Arnau Blanco was promoted to Flick’s staff after years in the academy, where he had coached Dro. His excitement about the player rubbed off on Flick and, while club sources said it was always a case of sooner rather than later, it expedited the youngster’s progression.
Dro had joined Barça from Galician side Val Miñor — where Thiago Alcántara had also played — aged 14 in 2022. Initially known as “Dro” because his brother could not say his name, it stuck given the number of other Pedros he played with down the years. Real Madrid had also been alerted to his talent, but sources involved in his move to Barça said Los Blancos “slept” on getting a deal done.
There are some players who lend themselves easily to comparisons. Dro is one of them. Val Miñor coach Javier Roxo told ESPN: “I have not seen anyone as technical as Thiago [Alcántara], but in terms of vision, Dro is possibly ahead of him.” Meanwhile, Luis Pérez Barreiro, another ex-coach at Val Miñor, compares him to club legend Andrés Iniesta, while current star Pedri has previously dubbed Dro his favorite player coming through at Barça.
Another coach who worked with Dro compared him to Brazil legend and Ballon d’Or winner, Kaká. They told ESPN: “Dro’s understanding of the game is way above the average. He always stood out as a different kind of player. I always saw him as being similar to Kaká, even if he played for Real Madrid and AC Milan [not Barça].”
Dro, whose Galician father played amateur football and whose mother is from the Philippines, announced himself with a stunning strike in preseason which soon led to a competitive debut in LaLiga. A first Champions League start followed against Olympiacos, where he created a goal for Fermín to become the second-youngest player to provide an assist in the competition.
He becomes the latest highly-rated graduate of La Masia to depart Barça at a young age. Many seek opportunities away from Barça. Some — such as Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fàbregas, Eric García and Olmo — eventually returned. Others — notably Jordi Mboula and, to a lesser extent, Ilaix Moriba — never reach the expected level. Meanwhile the jury is still out on the likes of Xavi Simons (now at Tottenham Hotspur) and Marc Guiu (Chelsea) in terms of their eventual ceiling in the game.
Time will tell which group Dro falls into, but PSG are getting one of the most promising youngsters to come through Barça’s academy in the last five years. You only have to look at Flick’s reaction to appreciate how much of a loss the youngster is to the club.
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Josh Weinfuss
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Jordan Reid
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Jordan Reid
NFL draft analyst
- Jordan Reid is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. Jordan joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He played quarterback at North Carolina Central University and then went on to coach there from 2014-18.
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Ben Solak
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Ben Solak
ESPN
- Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.
Multiple Authors
TEMPE, Ariz. — After being without a head coach for almost a month, the Arizona Cardinals finally have their choice.
Arizona announced the hiring of 38-year-old Mike LaFleur on Sunday, ending a search that looked similar to previous ones by the Cardinals. As they were in 2023 when they hired Jonathan Gannon, they were once again the last team to make a hire after nine other head coaching vacancies were filled. And for the sixth time in the past 19 years, they hired a first-time NFL coach.
They also kept their pattern of alternating between offensive- and defensive-minded head coaches. LaFleur spent the past five seasons as an offensive coordinator, two with the New York Jets and three with the Los Angeles Rams. Gannon was a defensive-minded coach. He was preceded by Kliff Kingsbury, an offensive coach, who was preceded by Steve Wilks, a defensive coach, who was preceded by Bruce Arians, an offensive coach.
Arizona signed LaFleur to a five-year contract as he sets out to bring Arizona back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss and NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid break down what the hire could mean for quarterback Kyler Murray and for the Cardinals’ upcoming draft. And NFL analyst Ben Solak provides a grade.
Why Mike LaFleur?
Weinfuss: LaFleur is highly regarded around the league for his offensive acumen. And he represents a branch of the Sean McVay tree, which carries a great deal of cache.
LaFleur is the fourth McVay OC to become a head coach, joining Mike’s brother Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The three others led their teams to the playoffs.
LaFleur runs a West Coast style of offense, which would be Murray’s third different offensive style in his eight NFL seasons — should he still be around come OTAs.
Did the Cards wait too long and miss out on the top choices?
Weinfuss: It’s hard to argue that they didn’t, but general manager Monti Ossenfort said during his postseason news conference that Arizona was going to take its time.
It might not have been a matter of waiting too long and missing out on their top choices for the Cardinals, as opposed to not being as attractive of a destination as other teams. That’s mainly because of uncertainty at quarterback, facilities that have consistently received low grades in the annual NFLPA report cards and an owner in Michael Bidwell who has been famously frugal.
Where waiting this long to hire a head coach can and, likely, will hurt the Cardinals will be in hiring a staff. With LaFleur being the last coach hired this cycle, his pool of assistants to hire has been shrinking by the day.
What does this mean for Murray’s future with the Cardinals?
Weinfuss: That’s still to be determined. Murray’s contract situation is well known: He’s under contract until 2028 and has already been guaranteed $39.8 million for 2026, so there are two possibilities for Murray: Let LaFleur pick his guy, which, as an offensive-minded head coach, may be the smartest move, or Bidwell will require Murray to stay on the roster because of all the money he’s paid him for this coming season.
LaFleur hasn’t always been dealt the easiest of hands with quarterbacks. In San Francisco, he had C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, and in New York he had Zach Wilson. Murray is a step above them talent wise, but LaFleur, who had a front-row seat for Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles the last three seasons, also has worked with an elite QB.
How can LaFleur boost his roster at No. 3 overall in the draft — and will the pick come on offense?
Reid: This roster needs help in multiple spots, so the Cardinals could go in a few different directions — and focus on either side of the ball.
Right tackle is one clear hole on the roster, and either Spencer Fano (Utah) or Francis Mauigoa (Miami) would make a lot of sense. Fano has great movement traits, while Mauigoa is a physical mauler.
But the Cardinals might instead look to add an edge rusher opposite Josh Sweat. Keep an eye on the powerful Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) and explosive David Bailey (Texas Tech). They both know how to get after the QB; both players had 71 pressures in 2025, tied for second most in the FBS.
How would you grade this hire?
Solak: B-. The Cardinals — the last team to fill its head coaching vacancy — clearly did not get their preferred candidate, as they announced the hiring of LaFleur only minutes after it was reported that Klint Kubiak was taking the Raiders job.
LaFleur is a chip off the old Kyle Shanahan block, having spent time as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator under him before taking the offensive coordinator job with Robert Saleh and the Jets. LaFleur never got the plane off the ground with Zach Wilson in New York, and will now be in charge of another young quarterback’s developmental arc, assuming Arizona moves off Kyler Murray and onto a new signal-caller.
There’s a solid ceiling here, as LaFleur is from a prolific coaching tree. But it’s hard to get too excited about what feels like a very run-of-the-mill hire.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday expressed hope that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would work towards a “mutually acceptable resolution” after the government denied permission to the national side for a match against India in T20 World Cup 2026.
In a statement, the cricket governing body noted the government’s statement, in which it said that Pakistan would play the tournament but skip their game against India.
“While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC said.
The cricket-governing body added that such “selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions” built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness.
The ICC said that it respected the roles of governments in matters of national policy, however, it added that the decision was not “in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan”.
“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of,” the ICC stated.
The cricket-governing body asserted that its priority remained the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, saying it should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB.
The statement follows Pakistan’s announcement that its team would participate in the tournament but would boycott the match against arch-rival India.
The decision came following a meeting between PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government said in a post on X.
“…however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
Kansas shooting guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa loom as the projected top two picks in the upcoming NBA draft. They are the precocious cream of what projects to be one of the best NBA drafts — particularly in the top 10 — in the past generation.
Who will be No. 1? ESPN polled 20 NBA scouts and executives to get an early vibe, and the results indicate that there will be a rigorous debate right up to June’s draft.
Peterson received 12 votes and Dybantsa eight for the top spot. With No. 13 BYU visiting No. 14 Kansas on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), it will mark the first collegiate matchup between the two stars.
“It’s Darryn Peterson for me,” a veteran scout told ESPN. “He makes things look so effortless, it’s unbelievable. His shotmaking is unmatched. He’s the closest thing to Kobe Bryant I’ve seen since Kobe in terms of shotmaking and ability to create his own shot. He’s not the same athlete as Kobe, but no one is. He’s really special.”
Few of the scouts and executives polled indicated the choice was easy.
“It’s so close,” a veteran NBA executive told ESPN. “I’m saying 51% to 49%, just barely. I just feel like there’s a little bit more potential with AJ Dybantsa as a player who makes others better. But if you call me on March 1, I could tell you that I changed my mind.”
The NBA is descending on Lawrence, Kansas, this weekend for some additional empirical evidence.
At least 32 NBA front office personnel from 17 teams are attending the game, with seven general managers/decision-makers expected to be among them. (Also slated to attend is Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler.)
Some teams are sending multiple scouts and executives, including a majority of the front office staffs of both the Hawks (five attendees) and Indiana Pacers (six attendees). Both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are sending three reps.
Multiple NBA sources told ESPN that they are eager to see how Peterson looks after missing a game against Kansas State last Saturday with an ankle sprain. Kansas coach Bill Self has said he anticipates Peterson to play, and the injury has not been considered long term.
Peterson missed nine games over two separate stretches earlier in the season with a hamstring issue. With the ankle injury costing him a game, it means that he has missed half of Kansas’ games this season. He has also been managing a cramping issue.
“I don’t like the drama of playing and not playing,” said one scout, who chose Peterson as his No. 1 pick. “But he’s a scoring menace. He’s just a killer offensively.”
Dybantsa is listed at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds. Peterson is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. It’s uncertain if they will often match up directly with each other on the floor Saturday, but they will certainly be compared and debated in the upcoming months.
The core of the debate comes to Peterson’s rare offensive upside against Dybantsa having more athleticism and two-way upside. Multiple scouts and executives mentioned having both Duke‘s Cam Boozer and North Carolina‘s Caleb Wilson in the conversation about the top pick, but none picked those players as their preference for No. 1.
One scout summed up his Dybantsa pick this way: “He’s the only one who has a chance to be elite on both ends.”
Another said about Peterson: “I think he can be a championship-level shot creator in the NBA.”
Peterson is averaging 21.6 points per game in 27.2 minutes. He is also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists and shooting an impressive 42% from 3-point range.
Dybantsa is scoring 23.6 points per game, snags 6.7 rebounds and dishes 3.6 assists. He has played in all 20 of BYU’s games and is shooting 31.8% from 3-point range.
No one is debating the talent at the top of this draft, as college basketball is having a freshman renaissance this season. This draft is both elite at the top and deep, with freshman stars such as Houston‘s Kingston Flemings, Louisville‘s Mikel Brown Jr., Tennessee‘s Nate Ament, Arkansas‘ Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona‘s Koa Peat, UConn‘s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Illinois‘ Keaton Wagler giving the sport an adrenaline shot of young talent.
“It is extra deep with high-end talent,” said a veteran scout. “This draft will hold up historically as one of the better ones in the last 20 years.”
Grading Mike LaFleur’s hire, eyeing what’s next for Cards
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