Borussia Dortmund Targeting Héctor Fort as Right-Back Solution
Borussia Dortmund are pushing to the front of the queue for Héctor Fort, with the Bundesliga club now seen as clear favourites to land the Barcelona right-back.
Spanish transfer specialist Matteo Moretto has detailed Dortmund’s growing interest in the 20-year-old, noting that what began as a general admiration has quickly hardened into concrete talks. The shift has been rapid. Only days ago, Fort was one of several names on BVB’s radar. Now, they are in pole position.
A vacancy on the right
The need in Dortmund is obvious. Yan Couto has departed for Como 1907 on loan, with the Serie A side securing a €20 million option to buy the Brazilian. His exit rips a hole down the right flank just as Niko Kovac shapes his first BVB squad.
At the moment, Julian Ryerson stands as the only natural right-back in the group. Waldemar Anton, Filippo Mane and left-back Daniel Svensson can fill in, but only as emergency solutions, especially if Kovac sticks with his preferred back three or back five. For a team with Dortmund’s ambitions, that is a thin margin.
That is where Fort comes in. Young, technically clean, and tactically schooled at Barcelona, he fits the profile of a modern wing-back who can run an entire flank. The club have already held initial discussions, and the outlines of a deal are on the table.
The numbers: fee, clauses, and options
Barcelona’s stance is clear: Fort will not come cheap. A straight transfer would likely cost around €20 million. There is, however, another structure in play.
According to the report, a package closer to €10 million could be agreed if Barça secure a 50 percent sell-on clause. That would dramatically lower the immediate outlay for Dortmund but lock them into sharing any future profit.
A loan with an option to buy is also being discussed and has not been ruled out. For a player still unproven at the very top level, such a model would give BVB a season to test him in the Bundesliga pressure cooker before committing fully.
Despite the Catalans’ demands, a permanent move is very much on the table. The reason sits elsewhere in Dortmund’s transfer planning.
El Mala collapse reshapes BVB’s market
The failed transfer of Said El Mala has unexpectedly freed up serious funds. Dortmund had earmarked around €50 million for the 1. FC Köln attacker. That deal fell through, and the money is now being redistributed across the squad.
Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK Saloniki has emerged as the leading alternative to El Mala, with the Greek playmaker reportedly available for about €25 million. Even if BVB decide to move for Konstantelias, they would still retain enough financial muscle to go hard for Fort.
In other words, Dortmund can strengthen their attack and still plug the glaring gap at right-back. The budget is there. The need is there. The talks have started.
A gamble on potential
There is, though, a clear element of risk. Fort remains largely untested at the highest level.
He has only managed brief appearances for Barcelona’s first team and spent last season on loan at Elche CF. The step down in level did not translate into a full breakthrough. Across all competitions, he logged just over 600 minutes in 17 appearances.
The numbers are intriguing but not overwhelming: three goals and two assists in those games. Productive in flashes, but hardly the résumé of a guaranteed starter for a Champions League side.
That is the bet Dortmund are weighing. Do they trust their track record of polishing rough edges and turning talented youngsters into fully fledged starters? Or does the lack of top-tier experience give them pause?
Right now, their actions suggest conviction. With Couto gone, Ryerson alone on the right, and a reshaped budget burning a hole in their pocket, BVB look ready to stake a portion of their summer on Fort becoming the next project to take off in front of the Yellow Wall.
