Liverpool Eyeing Barcelona's Héctor Fort Amid Everton Interest

Liverpool’s back line looked settled. Ronald Araújo’s arrival, a seasoned defender who can anchor the centre and slide across to right back when needed, seemed to close the door on any more defensive business this summer.

Apparently, not quite.

In Spain, Sport are reporting that Barcelona’s young right back Héctor Fort has appeared on Liverpool’s radar. The 20-year-old is being linked with half of Europe—Inter Milan, Fulham, Tottenham are all name-checked—which usually means one thing: take the noise with a pinch of salt.

The more serious interest, for now, is being pinned on Everton.

Across Stanley Park, Everton are being framed as the likeliest destination for Fort, a player who has spent the last decade growing up inside La Masia. He already has 24 senior appearances for Barcelona to his name, with 20 of those coming in the 2024-25 campaign, and he spent last season on loan at Elche to accelerate his development.

Not long ago, Fort was talked about as the next long-term right back at the Camp Nou, the latest academy fullback expected to lock down that flank for years. That conversation has shifted. The buzz now centres on fellow prospect Xavi Espart, increasingly viewed inside the club as the better bet for the future in that position.

That change in internal belief has opened a door. Fort, once a cornerstone of Barcelona’s plans, is now being spoken of as available on the market.

If Everton turn interest into action while Liverpool watch from across the city, the question won’t be who wants him now, but who ends up regretting missing him later.