In recent weeks, Héctor Fort's name has taken a top spot on Barcelona's agenda. His future has sparked debate within the club, among the coaching staff, and also among Barça fans. The sporting management has always argued that the best option for the player was to leave on loan.
However, the footballer didn't see it that way. Héctor Fort was very clear that his wish was to stay with the first team. After a season in which he got minutes under Xavi, he trusted he could keep growing under Hansi Flick's guidance.
But reality has been very different. Flick has barely counted on him in training sessions and not at all during the Asian tour. Meanwhile, Koundé and Eric García are taking all the minutes at right back, completely blocking his progress.
Flick and Deco's pressure has been key in the outcome
The coaching staff believe that Héctor Fort isn't yet ready to take on an important role at Barça. That's why both Flick and Deco have insisted that a loan is the right path. At no point has the idea of sidelining him been considered, but he hasn't been promised a leading role either.
After several internal conversations, the player has decided to give in. He's doing so with resignation, but also with ambition, knowing he needs minutes to keep growing. For those around him, it has been a painful but necessary decision.
The offers haven't taken long to arrive. Clubs like Valencia, Ajax, PSV, or Aston Villa have already contacted Barça. All of them have guaranteed the footballer immediate playing time and continuity at the elite level of European soccer.
Willing to buy him
In the last few hours, an unexpected proposal has come from England. Aston Villa has offered €15 million for Héctor Fort's transfer. Although Barça's intention was to loan him out, this offer has caused a change of plans in the sporting management.
Joan Laporta and Deco view favorably a deal that includes a buy-back clause or preferential rights. The sale would help ease the wage bill and provide immediate liquidity, something that's a priority in the current context. But the club doesn't want to part ways with a talent like Fort for good.
In this regard, the preferred formula is a sale with favorable conditions for a future return. A kind of "controlled sale" that's already been used with other academy players in recent years.
Fort says goodbye with his eyes set on returning
Although his destination hasn't been made official, everything suggests that Aston Villa is best positioned to sign him. Valencia is also pushing, but can't match the financial offer or the conditions of the English club. At La Masia, many teammates already consider him lost.
Fort, who keeps a very close relationship with Lamine Yamal, has said goodbye to part of the locker room. He has explained that his intention is to return, more mature and stronger, after a positive experience away from home. The player is clear that his goal is still to succeed at Barça.
Meanwhile, Flick is relieved. He didn't want an overly large squad and believes that Fort wasn't ready to compete for minutes. His departure allows the coach to work with a more compact group focused on the demands of the schedule.
The agreement between the parties is complete. Héctor Fort will leave Barça in the coming hours, either on loan or through a transfer. Although the path splits, the club doesn't rule out meeting him again very soon.