Barcelona determined to avoid another “Dro” situation with two La Masia jewels | OneFootball

According to Mundo Deportivo, FC Barcelona are working to secure the futures of academy prospects Pedro Villar and Pedro Rodriguez, whose contracts expire in 2027, as the club looks to avoid repeating the circumstances that led to Dro Fernandez’s departure.

Learning from the Dro case

Dro emerged as one of the biggest surprises of last summer’s pre-season.

After spending most of the previous campaign with Barcelona’s Juvenil B side, he was promoted directly to Hansi Flick’s first-team squad and impressed the German coach with his performances.

So much so that the teenage attacking midfielder was fast-tracked to the first-team setup directly and made five senior appearances.

Therefore, his eventual departure in January to PSG was viewed as a significant setback within the club and prompted Barcelona to rethink how they structure contracts for their most promising academy players.

Dro left Barcelona for PSG in January. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images for Qatar Airways)

New contract strategy

In response, Barcelona now offer academy players contracts with release clauses that increase as they progress through the club.

The clauses rise depending on factors such as first-team call-ups, promotion to Barça Atletic, and first-team appearances.

This approach allows Barcelona to expose talented youngsters to higher levels without leaving them vulnerable to low-cost departures.

Pedro Villar and Pedro Rodriguez yet to renew

Despite ongoing negotiations, Pedro Villar and Pedro Rodriguez have not yet signed new contracts.

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Both 18-year-olds remain tied to Barcelona until 2027, and discussions over extensions have been underway for several weeks.

The main issue is not financial terms but rather each player’s development pathway and long-term sporting project.

Because their renewals have not yet been finalised, neither player has been included in Hansi Flick’s pre-season squad.

Two highly rated midfield prospects

Pedro Villar is regarded as a tactically intelligent midfielder capable of playing both as an interior midfielder and as a defensive midfielder.

His tactical acumen, combined with an improved goalscoring record this past season, has strengthened belief within the club that he has the potential to reach the highest level.

Pedro Rodriguez possesses a similar profile, and is heralded for his vision, passing ability and understanding of the game. So much so that he is seen as someone who could operate in the same role as Pedri.

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Both are expected to play important roles for Barça Atletic next season.

Barcelona insist that the absence of Villar and Rodriguez from first-team pre-season training should not be interpreted as a sign that negotiations are progressing poorly.

Rather, the club prefers to finalsze their contract renewals before exposing them to the first-team environment.