Borussia Dortmund target signing Barcelona full-back Hector Fort

Fort returned to Barcelona after spending last season on loan at Elche, but the 19-year-old is not part of Hansi Flick's plans for the new campaign. 

The Catalan club are therefore looking for a permanent solution for the young defender.

According to reports cited by Mundo Deportivo, Dortmund have already opened direct negotiations with Barcelona over a possible transfer.

The Bundesliga club are also monitoring Chelsea's Josh Acheampong and Torino's Marcus Pedersen, but Fort currently sits at the top of their shortlist.

Fort is reportedly open to moving to Germany, which could help Dortmund push the deal forward. Barcelona are understood to value the defender at between 15 million and 20 million euros and would prefer to sell him this summer.

The situation has become more urgent after Fort was training separately from the rest of the Barcelona squad as the club works towards completing his departure.

However, Dortmund face financial restrictions that could make a permanent deal difficult. The German club may first need to sell some of their current players before they can afford Barcelona's asking price.

As a result, Dortmund could look to negotiate a loan deal for Fort instead, allowing them to strengthen their right side without committing to a major transfer fee.