Barcelona ‘turn down big-money offer for teenage starlet’
Barcelona have reportedly rejected an €35m (£30m) offer from an unnamed club for full-back Hector Fort.
The 17-year-old is a product of the famous La Masia academy and was handed his senior debut for the Catalan giants in December last year – playing for an hour in a Champions League dead-rubber defeat to Royal Antwerp.
Fort has since made a further six appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season, and was most recently handed just his second La Liga start in a 3-0 victory at Atletico Madrid.
Although Barcelona’s La Liga title defence has not gone according to plan this term – currently sitting second and eight points adrift of leaders Real Madrid – the Catalan club can take positives from the emergence of several youngsters who have stepped up to Xavi‘s first team.
Along with Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez and Pau Cubarsi, Fort has also impressed at senior level under Xavi and is now regarded as one of the club’s brightest prospects for the future.
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Fort’s development at Barcelona has seemingly caught the eye of clubs across Europe as Mundo Deportivo, via Sportskeeda, claims that they have turned down a €35m (£30m) offer for the full-back.
It is thought that potential suitors are looking to take advantage of Barca’s financial predicament and Fort’s contract situation, with his current deal due to expire in June 2025.
However, the report adds that Barcelona are determined to tie the highly-rated youngster down to a new contract at Camp Nou.
It is claimed that negotiations over a fresh deal including an increased salary and a higher release clause are already underway in Catalonia.
Earlier this year, Fort revealed that he was grateful to Xavi for giving him first-team opportunities this season and he hopes to stay at Barcelona for “as many years as possible.”
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“I will keep working as I am in the hope of further opportunities,” Fort told Barcelona’s official website. “I feel very proud, very excited and very happy because I have been working towards this for many years, to get where I am today.
“La Masia teaches you the Barca values, and now I am eternally grateful to Xavi for all the chances he has given me. Me and the other young players are more than ready for this and we are doing our best to demonstrate that.
“I’m a versatile player, with personality, good with my feet and in good physical shape. I hope that I can stay here, at my home, for as many years as possible.”
Fort, who was handed his Spain Under-19s debut last week, will be pushing to feature in Barcelona’s next La Liga match at home against Las Palmas on Saturday.
