Borussia Dortmund Target Barcelona's Hector Fort
Borussia Dortmund are pushing to the front of the queue for Barcelona right-back Hector Fort, with the Bundesliga club now seen as leading contenders for the 20-year-old’s signature.
Spanish transfer journalist Matteo Moretto has moved Dortmund from “interested” to “in pole position” in a matter of days, after initial talks between the parties. Premier League clubs and other European sides are also circling, but for the moment BVB are driving the pursuit.
A vacancy on the right
The need is obvious. Yan Couto has left Dortmund for Como 1907 on loan, with the Serie A newcomers securing an option to buy the Brazilian for €20 million. His departure has blown a sizeable hole in Niko Kovac’s right flank.
Right now, Julian Ryerson is the only natural right-back in the squad. Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mane and left-back Daniel Svensson can all cover on that side, but only as emergency solutions. If Kovac sticks with his preferred back three or back five, that wing-back role becomes crucial. Dortmund want a specialist there, not a patch.
Fort fits the profile: young, technically schooled at Barcelona, comfortable on the ball, and with the athleticism to patrol the entire flank.
The numbers behind a Fort deal
The price is clear enough. Fort would probably cost around €20 million on a straight transfer. There is, however, another possible structure on the table: a fee of about €10 million, tied to a hefty 50% sell-on clause for Barcelona.
A loan with an option to buy is also being discussed and has not been ruled out.
Despite Barcelona’s conditions, a permanent move still looks realistic. Dortmund suddenly have room in their budget after the collapse of the Said El Mala transfer, which had been expected to cost around €50 million. That money is now being redistributed across the squad.
Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK Saloniki is currently viewed as the main alternative to the 1. FC Köln attacker El Mala, with the Greek playmaker reportedly available for around €25 million. Even if Dortmund push that deal through, they would still have enough financial muscle left to make a serious play for Fort.
Talent, but still unproven
There is a catch. Fort is not a finished product, nor a proven force at the top level.
He has only made brief appearances for Barcelona’s first team and spent last season on loan at Elche CF. It was supposed to be his breakthrough year. It never quite became that.
Against weaker opposition in Spain’s lower tier, Fort still struggled to nail down an undisputed starting role. He finished the campaign with just over 600 minutes across 17 appearances. The output was encouraging on paper – three goals and two assists – but the sample size was small.
For Dortmund, this is the gamble: invest serious money and a key tactical role in a player whose ceiling looks high, but whose body of work remains thin.
They have done it before. They may do it again. And if they go all in on Hector Fort, the right flank at Signal Iduna Park could soon belong to a 20-year-old who is still learning what his own limits are.
