Liverpool Targets Young Right-Back Hector Fort from Barcelona

Liverpool’s defensive rebuild is already well under way, but the work on the right-hand side is far from finished.

Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Rennes to bolster the center of defense. Ronald Araujo is in on loan from Barcelona, a versatile stopgap who can cover both centre-back and right-back. Useful, yes. Permanent, no.

Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong remain dogged by injuries, and Liverpool knows it cannot lean on short-term solutions forever. That is where the next name on the list comes in: Hector Fort.

A La Masia right-back on the market

Fort is a right-back on the books at Barcelona, born in the city on August 2, 2006. At 20 years old, he is only just stepping into the early stages of his professional career, but his path has followed a familiar Catalan script.

He started out with Anguera before Barcelona moved quickly, bringing him into La Masia at the age of seven. From there, he climbed through the academy system, one age group at a time, until the door to senior football finally opened.

Breaking through at Barcelona

Fort’s real breakthrough came in 2023. That year, he earned his shot with Barcelona’s B team and then, more significantly, his first appearance for the senior side. His debut arrived on one of the biggest stages possible: a Champions League tie against Royal Antwerp.

Those minutes were not a one-off. Across all competitions, Fort has gone on to rack up 30 appearances for Barcelona, enough to show the club — and potential suitors — what kind of profile he brings at right-back.

For the 2025/26 season, Barcelona chose a different route for his development, sending him on loan to Elche. The plan was clear: regular senior football, a tougher environment, and the chance to grow away from the intense spotlight of Camp Nou.

It did not all go smoothly. Fort managed 17 appearances for Elche, his rhythm interrupted by a series of injury problems that limited his impact. When the loan ended, he returned to Barcelona, still highly regarded but without a guaranteed role.

A window of opportunity

Now comes the twist. Despite his potential, Barcelona is understood to be open to letting Fort leave this summer. With three years left on his contract, this is not a case of a player running down his deal; it is a strategic decision, and one that has alerted clubs looking for a long-term answer at right-back.

Liverpool is among those watching closely. The position has become a persistent headache, and the club’s recruitment team has cast the net wide for a solution that can grow with the squad rather than just plug a gap.

Fort fits that profile: young, La Masia-educated, already exposed to Champions League football, and available before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Barcelona may be ready to cash in. Liverpool may be ready to commit. The question now is whether Anfield becomes the next stop on a career that has so far never really left home.