Dortmund Push Ahead for Hector Fort Transfer
Borussia Dortmund are moving to the front of the queue for Hector Fort – and this time it looks serious.
Spanish transfer specialist Matteo Moretto now lists BVB as “in pole position” for the Barcelona right-back, a clear step up from the “general interest” he mentioned only days ago on Radio Marca. The interest has hardened. Talks have already taken place.
Dortmund push ahead for Fort
Fort, 20, has drawn attention from the Premier League and other clubs across Europe, but Dortmund currently lead the chase to get a deal over the line. The plan in Dortmund is obvious: the young Spaniard would effectively walk into the role vacated by Yan Couto, who has joined Como 1907 on loan.
Como’s deal for Couto includes a €20 million option to buy, a figure that sets a rough benchmark for the position. Dortmund, by contrast, are trying to find value and upside in Fort.
For Niko Kovac, the need on the right is acute. With Couto gone, Julian Ryerson is the only natural right-back in the squad. Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mane and left-back Daniel Svensson can all fill in on that flank, but only as emergency solutions, especially if Kovac, as expected, continues with a back three or back five. Depth there is no luxury; it is a necessity.
What would Fort cost?
Barcelona’s demands are clear but flexible. A straight transfer around €20 million is seen as a realistic outcome. There is also a second structure on the table: a fee of roughly €10 million combined with a hefty 50% sell-on clause for the Blaugrana.
A loan with an option to buy remains on the list of possibilities as well. Dortmund are exploring all angles.
Even with the Catalan club’s conditions, a permanent deal does not feel out of reach. The collapse of the move for Said El Mala has changed the financial picture in Dortmund’s favour. The €50 million that had been set aside for that transfer can now be redistributed across the squad.
Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK Saloniki is viewed as the leading alternative to the 1. FC Köln attacker El Mala, and is reportedly available for around €25 million. That still leaves enough financial headroom for Dortmund to push hard for Fort and reinforce a key area of the pitch.
A gamble on potential, not proof
For all the noise around him, Fort is still largely untested at the highest level. His Barcelona minutes were fleeting. Last season’s loan at Elche CF was supposed to provide a breakthrough. It did not quite happen.
Against weaker opposition in Spain’s lower tier, he struggled to nail down an undisputed starting role. He finished the campaign with just over 600 minutes spread across 17 appearances. The output, though, hints at upside: three goals and two assists from right-back is not a bad return in limited time.
That is the bet Dortmund are weighing up. A 20-year-old with a Barcelona education, flashes of end product, but no proven record over a full season in a major league.
They have money in hand, a glaring need on the right, and a clear run at the player. The question now is simple: do BVB trust their talent radar enough to let Hector Fort grow into that vacancy, or will this window demand a safer, more established answer?
