Real Sociedad make move for sign out of favour Barcelona defender | OneFootball

Barcelona are about to close the signing of Joao Cancelo, and his arrival could speed up the expected exit of Hector Fort. The 20-year-old is not in Hansi Flick’s plans for the 2026-27 season, and thus, it’s taken for granted that he will depart for the second summer in a row.

Fort returned to Barcelona at the start of pre-season with the hope that he could establish himself as a first team player, but ultimately, Xavi Espart has been chosen ahead of him as right-back cover. Thus, the decision has been made for him to leave, which is why he has been kept away from his teammates during training.

A number of clubs have taken an interest in Fort’s situation, including Borussia Dortmund. Real Sociedad are also keen on the La Masia graduate, and as per MD, they are prepared to make a loan offer to Barcelona for his services.

Barcelona prioritising Fort sale

Barcelona loaned Fort out to Elche last summer, and while that expedition was largely a success, they are not considering another temporary exit at this stage. Their intention is to secure a permanent exit for the young defender, with an asking price of €10-15m having been set in recent weeks.

This rules La Real out of contention at this stage, as they are not prepared to pay such a high transfer fee for a player that would not be a guaranteed starter – they already have Jon Aramburu, who is highly-rated in Donostia-San Sebastian. However, they are prepared to keep their interest in the event that Barcelona open the door to a loan move.

If that happens, Barcelona would look to include a buy clause – either optional or obligatory – in the region of €10m. Furthermore, it would be no surprise if a significant sell-on clause and/or buy-back option was also included, given that this would allow the Catalans to retain control over Fort’s future, in the event that he leaves permanently.