Barcelona defender to leave the club after opening game vs Mallorca | OneFootball

Barcelona were recently rocked by the departure of veteran defender Inigo Martinez, who was a lynchpin in Hansi Flick’s setup last season.

Martinez’s exit has left the Barcelona defence significantly weakened. However, the club are bracing themselves for more departures in defence this month.

Hector Fort’s future, in particular, has been in focus as the Spaniard doesn’t appear to have any future at Barcelona, at least in the short run.

Fort has been linked with a loan move away from Barcelona throughout this month, and has no shortage of suitors either.

Fort to leave after Mallorca game

According to Diario SPORT, Fort will decide his next destination following Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Mallorca.

The full-back has several offers on the table, including from La Liga rivals and clubs abroad such as Paris FC. However, Mallorca, previously one of the favourites to land him, have seen their chances fade due to the player’s preferences.

Hector Fort has no future at Barcelona (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

The 19-year-old was promoted to the first team in Xavi Hernandez’s final season, impressing with his versatility on both flanks.

But his role diminished sharply under Flick, who has preferred Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia in the fullback role during pre-season, leaving Fort with limited minutes.

Barcelona still rate Fort highly and are open to either a straight loan or a transfer with a high percentage of rights retained and a buy-back clause.

The priority is to ensure regular game time for the youngster so his development is not stalled. His exit will not significantly impact Barcelona’s salary limit, though, as he remains contracted to Barça Atlètic.

With only Inaki Pena and Oriol Romeu’s situations left unresolved, Fort’s departure would mark one of the final squad adjustments before the transfer window closes.