Audio By Carbonatix
Paris St-Germain have signed 18-year-old Barcelona midfielder Dro Fernandez, with the Spanish side's president calling the transfer situation "unpleasant".
According to Spanish media, PSG have paid 8.2m euros (£7.1m) for Fernandez - a fee higher than his 6m euros (£5.2m) release clause - in a bid to maintain good relations between the clubs.
The Spanish midfielder's departure has been controversial, as he was expected to sign a new contract at Barcelona.
But he has now completed a move to PSG on a deal until 2030.
"It has been an unpleasant situation," Barca president Joan Laporta told Catalunya Radio.
"It came as a surprise because we had agreed on a different solution for when he turned 18.
"Surprisingly, his representative told us he couldn't follow through on what we'd agreed to."
Fernandez joined Barcelona's La Masia academy in 2022 and has made five senior appearances since his debut in September, including in the Champions League against Olympiacos.
PSG said the signing was "fully in line with the club's sporting strategy, which is heavily focused on youth and talent".
Fernandez said his move was a "moment of huge pride" and PSG was "a massive club that I've followed since I was a child and where some great legends have made history".
In a separate post on Instagram, he wrote: "After nearly four unforgettable seasons, today I have to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life: saying goodbye to the club that has been my home in recent years."
Asked about Fernandez's future earlier this month, Barca coach Hansi Flick said young players needed to "live for" the club and suggested the teenager would be making a mistake if he moved to France.
"We give them the opportunity to train with us, to grow, every day, with the best players in the world. We give them the opportunity, we give them the support, believe in them, the confidence," he said.
"If you want to play for Barca, then [do it] 100% with your whole heart.
"This is what I want to say to everyone who is now with us, or in the future with us, this must be 100%.
"These colours, you have to live for them, this is what I want to see. All the others I don't want, this is what I can say.
"Sometimes you do not agree with what they are doing, but they are 18, they are old enough to make the decisions, they have people around them."
Latest Stories
-
Techiman unites against child marriage: Joy Impact Makers Awardee leads charge on International Day of the Girl Child
10 minutes -
Ghana Psychological Association calls for greater involvement of people with lived experience in mental health care
1 hour -
Ablakwa says Ghana could evacuate more citizens from South Africa if the situation worsens
2 hours -
Violence against girls must be tackled through individual responsibility – Gender advocate
2 hours -
Ghana’s BRICS bid must be guided by national interest – International Affairs Analyst
2 hours -
Journalists look back on a decade of breast cancer reporting in Ghana
3 hours -
President Mahama ends Resetting Ghana tour of Ahafo Region
5 hours -
African negotiators seek delivery of climate commitments at COP31
5 hours -
BoG develops AI rules for financial sector
5 hours -
‘Big Push’: Government assures contractors of prompt payments
5 hours -
Court fines miner for breaking into gold buying shop
5 hours -
Tarkwa court jails labourer for three years over GH¢123,000 theft
6 hours -
GAEC must retain nuclear scientists for Ghana’s nuclear ambitions – Minister
6 hours -
Man reportedly mistaken for game and shot by hunter dead in forest
6 hours -
19-year-old mason jailed 15 years for defiling seven-year-old pupil
6 hours