The 'lost brother' of the Alcántaras is on the move

BarcelonaIn the same way that Fermín excited Barcelona fans with a great goal against Real Madrid or Marc Guiu, with just a couple of touches, made his debut with the first team, Pedro Fernández made his debut in the Culerada by scoring in its debut with Hansi FlickIn just a few weeks, he's gone from playing primarily in the U19s to being among the most promising players at La Masia. "He's only played 14 minutes and he looks like he's just won a Champions League or the Ballon d'Or. It can be a lot of pressure for him. It's a bit dizzying to read all the news," says Javi Roxo, who watched him grow up at Val Miñor, the Galician club from which he joined Barça.

After the match against Vissel Kobe, some teammates were quick to congratulate him on social media. With a Galician father and a Filipino mother, they call him Chinese Affectionately. At Val Miñor, Pedro was always called Dro, the name he wears on his Barça shirt. at the Barça training center.

Dro played for Val Miñor since he was 4 years old. His brothers, one older and one younger, have also played for the club. The family is deeply rooted in Ureca, the sports complex where the club has its facilities. In fact, Dro has been physically training there this summer. The club only has youth football categories, like the Damm. Thiago and Rafinha Alcántara trained there for just over a year. "They are all different players. Regarding Thiago, they both have a very high technical level. Perhaps Thiago is slightly superior, but Dro has more access to the box, a more developed finishing vision, more daring. He is more creative in the final meters," analyzes Javi Roxo.

La Masía convinced him.

Despite playing on the outskirts of Vigo, both Dro and Pedro Villar soon caught the attention of local visitors. It was clear to see. Dro landed in Pol Planas' U16 B team and the following year he moved to Arnau Blanco's U16 A team, now a member of the U16 team.staff Flick's. Planas had it again this year, already in the U19 B team.

Dro didn't hesitate when it came to latching onto the ball from the edge of the Vissel Kobe penalty area. It's a move he's been practicing and improving over the years at La Masia. "He's a player who used to be in the penalty area a lot, but he struggled to make good shots, with tension. Sometimes his shot came out too weak or he preferred to do one more dribble," they explain at La Masia. Dro improved his technique and made it clear in the Youth League with a fine goal against Monaco. He played a few matches with Juliano Belletti and even made his debut with Barça Atlètic.

The Galician playmaker had to adapt to Barça's style of play, but Javi Roxo still sees traces of the player he enjoyed so closely. "You see him, and he plays the same as here. It's the same style of play he played as a kid. Now he's more tactically demanding, and he's surrounded by better players," he explains. "He's developing just as we thought. He's one of those who believe that, if all goes well and we give him opportunities, he has a good chance of becoming a professional. He has none, he's in good physical condition, and he has plenty of talent. He makes a difference in the final yards," the coach adds.

Dro made his first-team debut playing as a winger, a position he dominates because he's good one-on-one. But there are those who believe he'll perform best playing in interior positions. "He can perform playing inside and outside, like Iniesta did; sometimes he seems to be floating. He sees passes that no one else sees," they point out at La Masia. In Galicia, they're enjoying Dro's success, but with their feet firmly on the ground. "Players like him and Thiago come along every twenty years, and now we're seeing that fate repeat itself. He has plenty of talent and quality, but we all have to take things slowly," Roxo concludes.