Liverpool Eye Barcelona's Héctor Fort as Defensive Option

Liverpool’s back line looked settled the moment Ronald Araújo walked through the door. A proven operator at centre half, comfortable enough to slide across to right back, he seemed to close the book on any more defensive business this summer.

Not quite.

In Spain, Sport are reporting that Barcelona right back Héctor Fort has landed on Liverpool’s radar. The 20-year-old is the latest La Masia fullback to be pushed into the rumour mill, with the Catalan outlet also linking him to Inter Milan, Fulham, and Tottenham. When that many names get thrown around, the noise can drown out the signal.

One club, though, is being painted as a genuine contender: Everton.

Across the city, Sean Dyche’s side are being tipped as the likeliest destination for Fort. The defender has spent the last decade climbing through Barcelona’s academy, ticking every box on the way up. He already owns 24 senior first-team appearances, 20 of them coming in the 2024-25 season, and he spent last year on loan at Elche to harden his game in regular top-flight action.

Not long ago, Fort was widely viewed as the heir apparent at right back for Barcelona, the next long-term option on that flank. The mood has shifted. Inside the club, the buzz has moved towards fellow prospect Xavi Espart as the more convincing long-term solution, and that change in internal belief has pushed Fort towards the exit door.

Now the question is simple: will he cross a city divide in England, or will Liverpool’s interest stay as little more than a footnote in a transfer window that’s moving quickly past him?