Borussia Dortmund Targeting 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 clear favourites to land the 20-year-old.

Spanish transfer specialist Matteo Moretto had only recently described BVB’s interest as “general” during a Radio Marca appearance. That has escalated quickly. Talks have already begun, and Dortmund are now pushing to turn that interest into a concrete deal.

Dortmund’s right flank under pressure

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 has stripped Niko Kovac’s squad of depth on the right side of defence.

At the moment, Julian Ryerson is the only natural right-back available. Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mane and left-back Daniel Svensson can all plug gaps on that flank, but only as makeshift options. If Kovac sticks to his preferred back three or back five, that imbalance becomes even more glaring.

That is where Fort comes in. Young, aggressive, comfortable on the ball – and, crucially, available.

The price of potential

Barcelona’s valuation is clear. A straight transfer would likely sit around €20 million. There is another structure on the table: a deal at roughly €10 million, but with Barça retaining a 50% sell-on clause. A loan with an option to buy also remains in play, giving BVB flexibility if they want a longer look at the defender before committing fully.

Despite the Catalan club’s conditions, a permanent move is very much on the cards. Dortmund suddenly have room to manoeuvre.

The collapse of the Said El Mala transfer has freed up around €50 million that had been earmarked for the 1. FC Köln attacker. That money can now be redistributed across the squad, and the right side of defence sits high on the list.

Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK Saloniki is viewed as the leading alternative to El Mala, with the Greek playmaker reportedly available for around €25 million. Even if BVB move for Konstantelias, there would still be enough budget left to push hard for Fort.

A gamble on a lightly tested defender

For all the excitement, Fort is still a bet on upside rather than a proven force at elite level.

His first-team experience at Barcelona has been limited to brief cameos. Last season’s loan at Elche CF was supposed to provide a launchpad, but the leap never quite came. Against weaker opposition in the Spanish second tier, he still struggled to nail down an undisputed starting role.

The numbers underline that. Just over 600 minutes spread across 17 appearances. Three goals and two assists hint at attacking promise, yet they arrive from a relatively small sample size.

Dortmund know exactly what they are doing here: paying serious money for a defender who has shown flashes, not dominance.

The question is whether the Westfalenstadion is where those flashes finally turn into something more permanent.