Joan Laporta, who has been nominated for the position of president of Barcelona, has lashed out at Barcelona and Spain midfielder Ivan de la Pena, blaming him for the exit of Dro Fernandez. The 18-year-old talent joined Paris Saint-Germain for €8.4 million in the winter transfer window, and was represented by de la Pena, who has worked with a number of Barcelona players.
Released from the under-19 side by Hansi Flick, Dro made his first team appearance at the start of the season. However, Barcelona could not tie him to a new contract when he turned 18 at the beginning of the year, and combined with the lack of game time, he decided to go to PSG.
🚨 Pedro Neto is on FC Barcelona’s radar! This Chelsea midfielder is popular because he can play on both wings. Neto has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if he wants to start a new journey. [@ffpolo] 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/4TaCPDl0FN
– barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 13, 2026
Laporta accuses de la Pena – ‘Deceptive betrayal’
The former Barcelona president, who is in contention for re-election on Sunday, told Jijantes that the biggest problem is his agent. De la Pena was affectionately known as bald during his time as a player. Sports carries his quotes.
“What happened to Dro was a betrayal. If it had happened to Jorge Mendes, it would not have been the same as what happened to the bald man. It was a shame and a treacherous back.”
“We have the president of PSG, we build a market relationship, with more money involved, to maintain a good relationship with Barca, and I thank you for that. I felt bad for Hansi. He was given a role in the first team and lost the players he deserved because they invested a lot in Barca. He is an agent because of his history with Barcelona; he had a special relationship with them, and I thought it was a crime.”
It’s certainly a bold move from Laporta, as first-team players Gavi and Eric Garcia are both still represented by de la Pena.
Laporta to Vlahovic and Cancelo
Meanwhile, Barcelona have been linked with Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, but Laporta dismissed the idea that they would be interested in him.
“There is nothing, there is no need to sign players, but we are always trying to strengthen the squad.”
The prospect of signing Joao Cancelo – who is represented by Jorge Mendes – appeared to excite Laporta.
“He is doing very well, he has a lot of class, he passed the penalty to Olmo, this is what I like. We have to meet the unstoppable Barca.”
‘Deco will decide on Rashford’s stay’ – Laporta
A constant source of speculation this season has been the future of Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, but the usual report is that he will stay at Barcelona.
“He has the level of assistants and the terms we are very happy with. We can extend the loan; it depends on what Deco wants. There are options, including exercising part of the purchase option with United, and we will see about the rest. Rashford is well settled; he is a good boy, and he is very involved in the Foundation.”
The Blaugrana reportedly have a €30m purchase option in the loan deal, and are expected to be keen to exercise it. For his part, Rashford has publicly announced his desire to stay at the club, but it could depend on their salary cap situation this summer.
