Premier League giants locked in battle for Barcelona prodigy likened to Lamine Yamal

Barcelona’s ‘next Yamal’ Dro Fernandez is set to leave the club in a shock departure and he is attracting interest from giants.

Chelsea and Manchester City are two of the teams leading the race for the 18-year-old, with Borussia Dortmund also interested, talkSPORT understands.

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There is also a firm interest from France for Fernandez, who has confirmed he will be departing Barca in the January transfer window.

He has a €6million (£5.1million) release clause in his current contract and that is expected to be triggered very soon.

The attacking midfielder is not going to stay in Spain, handing a big boost to the three huge European clubs eyeing his signature.

Fernandez has broken into the Barcelona first-team this season under Hansi Flick, making five appearances in total.

Four of those have come in La Liga, with the other in the Champions League when he started against Olympiacos in October.

He provided an assist for Fer Lopez in that game, which is his only goal contribution for the Spanish giants.

Since that match though, he hasn’t started another fixture, coming off the bench twice for cameo appearances.

The Spain youth international has come through the famous La Masia academy, following the likes of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

Fernandez has risen up through the ranks to become the latest starlet to make headlines for Barcelona.

But his journey with the club is going to come to a premature end, with a Premier League or Bundesliga move potentially on the cards.

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Flick left frustrated

It’s fair to say that Barcelona manager Flick isn’t best pleased that Fernandez has opted to leave the club.

His decision to move on has left the German in disbelief.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Flick was informed on Friday that Fernandez would be departing.

And he is said to have been ‘especially annoyed’ that he would be losing an important player for the present and future.

He reportedly told those close to him that Fernandez’s exit was ‘the biggest disappointment’ of his life.

Flick gave the teenage sensation special care, but he will now have to see him leave his squad once a deal is complete.

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The next Yamal?

Fernandez has been tipped by many to become the next Yamal, with his reputation being built over his years at Barcelona.

However, he’s going to take a different route to the 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up, making a switch elsewhere.

Yamal came through La Masia just as Fernandez did, but he has now made 88 first-team appearances and has become a superstar.

The 18-year-old is also the most valuable player on the planet.

Fernandez plays in similar roles to Yamal and was expected to be the next in the Barca pipeline to reach his heights.

But he will now have to do so away from Spain, with multiple European giants hoping his rise continues with them.