English Premier League
Barcelona transfer Hector Fort to Real Sociedad with buy-back option
Barcelona have confirmed the permanent departure of 20-year-old defender Hector Fort, who has joined Real Sociedad in a deal worth €8.5m for 50% of the player’s rights.
The Catalan club have also retained a buy-back option and a percentage of any future transfer involving the right-back, allowing them to maintain a degree of control over his career after his move to the La Liga side.
Under the terms announced by both clubs, Barcelona can re-sign Fort for €20m until 2028. That figure will rise to €25m for the following year, with the buy-back option remaining available until 2029. Barcelona will also receive a share of any future sale of the player.
Fort leaves Barcelona after 13 years with the club. He joined the academy at a young age and progressed through the club’s youth system before spending last season on loan at Elche.
During that spell, Fort impressed at right-back under manager Eder Sarabia, performances which led Barcelona’s sporting staff to consider whether he could return to the first-team squad.
His season was interrupted after he suffered a serious shoulder injury shortly after scoring his first league goal for Elche. The defender required surgery and was sidelined for a period before returning to action during the closing stages of the campaign.
However, Hansi Flick was unable to find a place for Fort in his squad after pre-season. Barcelona already have several options at right-back, including Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Xavi Espart, and the club ultimately agreed to allow Fort to leave on a permanent basis.
Real Sociedad faced competition from a number of clubs for the defender’s signature, including Borussia Dortmund. The German club did not agree to Barcelona’s asking price of €15m, allowing the Basque club to complete the deal.
Fort travelled to San Sebastian on Saturday morning and watched Real Sociedad’s match against Espanyol that evening. He is expected to compete with Aramburu and Alvaro Odriozola for the right-back position, although Odriozola is set to be unavailable for an extended period.
His departure reflects a developing strategy at Barcelona for academy players who are not guaranteed a place in the first team. Rather than losing those players without compensation, the club are seeking an immediate financial return while retaining either a percentage of their rights or the option to buy them back in the future.
Barcelona have used a similar structure in other transfers and are expected to apply the same approach to the possible departures of Jofre Torrents, Toni Fernandez and Gil Fernandez.
Fort’s move brings an end to his long association with Barcelona, but the buy-back clauses mean the club have left open the possibility of bringing him back if he establishes himself at Real Sociedad.
