Barcelona defender “flattered” by Inter transfer interest | OneFootball

Barcelona are hoping to secure a summer deal for Alessandro Bastoni to be their new starting central defender, and while Inter are open to selling, they may be forced to bring up the value of their package by including one of their own players, and at this stage, the most likely candidate is Hector Fort.

Fort, who is poised to return to action with loan club Elche this week after four months out with a shoulder injury, faces an uncertain future at Barcelona. He’s behind Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia in the right-back pecking order, and if Joao Cancelo ends up signing permanently, that would be another spot that he drops down.

Because of this, the possibility of going to Inter has opened up, and the Nerrazzurri would welcome him being included in the Bastoni deal. And while the 19-year-old is said to be flattered by the interest shown in him, his priority is for him to remain as a Barcelona player for the foreseeable future.

Fort future will be defined in the summer

Fort will return to Barcelona once his Elche loan runs out, and at the start of pre-season, the decision will be made regarding whether he is needed by the Catalan side for the 2026-27 campaign. If he is not in Flick’s plans, there would be an increased chance of him leaving again, at which point Inter would be well-placed for secure his signature.

It remains to be seen by how much Inter would be prepared to reduce their asking price in the event that Fort is included in the Bastoni deal, but if Barcelona were to let him go, it would be wise to retain some control of his future. He may have so far struggled to built on the promising performance he showed during the 2023-24 season, but he has more than enough time on his side to come good.