West Ham United are eyeing a move for another Barcelona player as a loan move for full-back Hector Fort is currently under discussion.
According to Sport, West Ham United have expressed interest in signing a second Barcelona player in the last few days. The Hammers are now pursuing a move for Hector Fort, having already chased Marc Casado earlier, with a loan move for the full-back seems within their reach compared to the midfielder.
West Ham United are in talks with Barcelona over a loan move for talented full-back Hector Fort. The highly-rated wide player is not viewed as an important part of Hansi Flick’s side, although the manager might have p[referred to keeping him around.
The Hammers are looking for options in the market that would improve the squad, and would look at Fort’s performances from right-back to consider him as a target. The Hammers are in discussions of a loan move, and the player himself might be open, only if it’s a temporary deal and one that comes with a pay rise.
The Hammers were linked with a move for Marc Casado, another one of Barcelona’s young and emerging stars. However, the midfielder is not open to leaving the Catalans, and even if he does, there are far more attractive options in the market than the Hammers, with Tottenham and Chelsea among those keeping tabs.
As for Fort, the highly-rated wide player might continue to harbour his objective of succeeding at Barcelona. Hence, he’s only about to consider a loan move that does not include a buy option of any sort. The Hammers are not alone as Aston Villa had also shown an interest, although for now the Londoners are the current front runners for the right-back.
Why are Barcelona offloading Hector Fort?
Barcelona continues to face challenges with regards to player registration, and will need to cull their wage bill to fit in all of their current players. Hence, they have considered the prospect of Casado’s exit earlier, and now Fort. The highly-rated wide player may not be on a high salary, but saving on his wages would help the club in a big way to register other players.
From a sporting point of view, Flick had earlier envisaged Fort as a backup to Jules Kounde. However, last season he frequently used Eric Garcia in the right-back role, meaning Barcelona have plenty of options in that full-back position that could allow the departure of Fort on a season-long loan deal.