Manchester City and Chelsea eyeing Barcelona starlet who made waves in preseason | OneFootball

Barcelona’s financial problems have come accompanied by a flood of talent gushing into the first team from La Masia. However as the Blaugrana recover on the pitch, they are increasingly short of opportunities to hand out to the fresh generations coming through.

That much was evidenced by the exits of wingers Arnau Pradas and Jan Virgili in the summer, as well as talented Barca Atletic midfielders Pau Prim and Unai Hernandez, are all evidence of this phenomenon. In addition, Barcelona’s willingness to part with Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez shows that Hansi Flick has plenty of depth in midfield, with Marc Bernal to return to action this month after missing almost all of last season.

Dro Fernandez the next in line to make the jump?

If there was one youngster to make an impression in Barcelona’s preseason clashes, for many it was 17-year-old Dro Fernandez. The central midfielder was a surprise addition to Flick’s preseason tour, and scored in their opening match against Vissel Kobe. Although he did not play in the second game, against Daegu FC and Como, Dro continued to impress on the ball.

Image via FC Barcelona

Premier League giants monitoring Dro

It was not just Barcelona and Flick that Dro was impressing though. As per Fichajes via Caught Offside, Manchester City and Chelsea are keeping a close eye on Dro. It is nothing new that Premier League sides are looking to poach talent from La Masia, but Dro looks as if he may have the talent to be useful in the first team.

The 17-year-old currently has two years left on his deal, but for Barcelona, the issue will be providing opportunities for his progression. With central midfield currently well-stocked, and only Frenkie de Jong close to end of his deal, unless there is a surprise departure, Barcelona may not have a free spot in their squad for some time.