Borussia Dortmund Pursues Barcelona's Hector Fort
Borussia Dortmund have moved to the front of the queue for Barcelona right-back Hector Fort, with the Bundesliga club now seen as leading contenders to land the 20-year-old.
Spanish transfer specialist Matteo Moretto recently described BVB’s interest as “general” on Radio Marca. That interest has hardened quickly. Talks have already taken place, and Dortmund are pushing to turn admiration into an agreement.
Dortmund’s right flank under construction
The need is obvious. Yan Couto has left for Como 1907 on loan, with the Serie A side securing a €20 million option to buy the Brazilian. His departure strips Niko Kovac’s squad down to just Julian Ryerson as a natural right-back.
Everyone else on that side would be a patch job. Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mane and left-back Daniel Svensson can all fill in on the right, but only as emergency options. If Kovac sticks with his preferred back three or back five, that thin depth turns into a glaring hole.
That is where Fort comes in. Young, aggressive, technically sound, and available.
The numbers behind a Fort deal
Barcelona’s stance is clear: Fort will not be cheap. A straight transfer is expected to land around €20 million. There is, however, another structure on the table.
According to reports, a deal worth about €10 million is also being discussed, but only if Barça secure a hefty 50 per cent sell-on clause. That would give the Catalan club a major cut of any future profit if Fort explodes in the Bundesliga.
A loan with an option to buy is also still in play. Dortmund are exploring every avenue, but the direction of travel points towards a permanent move if the financials line up.
And they might. The collapse of the Said El Mala transfer has unexpectedly freed up serious money in Dortmund’s budget. Around €50 million had been set aside for the 1. FC Köln attacker. That cash now gives BVB room to reshape the squad.
Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK Saloniki is currently viewed as the main alternative to El Mala, with the Greek attacker reportedly available for around €25 million. Even if Dortmund go down that road, they would still have enough left to push hard for Fort.
A gamble on potential, not proof
For all the excitement, Fort is not a proven force at the top level. He has only had brief tastes of action with Barcelona’s first team and spent last season on loan at Elche CF.
It was meant to be his launchpad. It never quite became that.
Against weaker opposition than he would face in the Champions League or at the sharp end of the Bundesliga, Fort still struggled to fully impose himself. He finished the season with just over 600 minutes across 17 appearances. The output was respectable on paper – three goals and two assists – but those numbers came in limited bursts rather than sustained dominance.
That is the bet Dortmund are weighing up: pay serious money for a right-back who has flashed talent but not yet built a body of work at elite level.
They have done it before. They are built on it. The question now is whether Hector Fort becomes the next successful BVB project on the flank – or the latest expensive swing at potential in a market that no longer forgives many misses.
