Why Barcelona were not able to set a higher release clause for youth prodigy ahead of PSG move | OneFootball

The recent departure of youth prodigy Dro to Paris Saint-Germain has left a bitter taste in Barcelona, particularly regarding the financial terms of the deal.

While the clubs eventually settled on a fee of €8.2 million, the player’s exit was facilitated by a release clause of just €6 million, which now seems unremarkable.

The reason Barcelona were unable to secure a higher protection for the Galician talent boils down to a matter of unfortunate timing and a previous contractual standard that has since been overhauled.

How Dro passed the €6 million threshold

As reported by Diario SPORT, Dro signed his extension for the youth stage prior to the summer of 2024, a period during which the club typically set standard €6 million release clauses for all players committing to a three-year youth period.

However, the landscape of La Masia contract negotiations changed drastically following Chelsea’s move for Marc Guiu in 2024.

Hansi Flick was devastated after losing Dro to PSG. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

It was only after losing Guiu for a similarly low fee that the administration began implementing new policies where clauses increase exponentially as players achieve milestones such as debuting for the reserve side or the first team.

Had these modern safeguards been applied to Dro’s contract, his release clause would have likely ballooned to over €20-25 million following his breakthrough into the senior squad.

Moving forward, the club has finalised these graduated clauses for all new renewals to ensure that future gems of La Masia are protected from being poached at undervalued prices.

As for Dro himself, the youngster has so far featured in two matches since joining PSG in a permanent deal in January. He is still adjusting to life in the French capital, under the leadership of former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique.