Aston Villa are exploring a move for Barcelona prospect Hector Fort, though the Catalan giants are hesitant about letting him leave.

• Villa show interest in Fort
• Barcelona reluctant to sell
• Player shares agent with Emery

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Villa have approached Barcelona about signing young full-back Fort. The move is driven by manager Unai Emery and sporting director Monchi, who both have a strong track record of targeting Spanish talent. Fort and Emery are also represented by the same agency, potentially making negotiations smoother.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Villa are are looking to reinforce at full-back with Andres Garcia likely to leave after struggling for minutes. However, financial restrictions following a UEFA fine mean any Fort deal would have to be low-cost, possibly a loan. Monchi’s summer spending has been limited to €37 million (£31m/$41m), splashing €30m (£26m/$33m) on striker Evann Guessand and €7m on Turkish centre-back Yasin Ozcan, who was immediately loaned to Anderlecht. Barcelona, meanwhile, value Fort highly and see him as part of their future plans, making them unwilling to sanction a permanent sale.

• TELL ME MORE…

  The 19-year-old has drawn interest from several clubs, including Paris FC and Mallorca, though the latter’s offer was not convincing. The Catalan giants would consider a loan or structured transfer keeping a high percentage of his rights and a buy-back clause, in line with their recent approach to youth talent. For Fort, guaranteed playing time will be key in deciding his next move.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR HECTOR FORT?

  Fort is expected to make a decision on his future next week, weighing offers from across Europe. If Villa push ahead, they will need to convince Barcelona of a deal that preserves the Catalan club’s long-term stake in the player.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News