Barcelona Considers Selling Defender Due to Hansi Flick’s Stance

Barcelona had a relatively good start to their preseason opener against Vissel Kobe, winning 3-1. While most of the headlines centered on the positive contributions of the new signings, the match brought some negative news for one player.

Young right-back Hector Forte was the only senior outfield player who was fit but did not participate in the Japan match, remaining on the bench. Eric Garcia replaced starting right-back Jules Koundé, which was seen as a warning to the 19-year-old. After angering Hansi Flick last season, Forte was also late for his medical on the first day of preseason, an infraction typically resulting in a benching penalty for the German manager.

Barcelona Considers Selling Forte

According to multiple sources, the young full-back is currently considering a move away. AS initially reported that Forte would consider a loan move, but now AS has confirmed that Barcelona is exploring a transfer, with a preference for a sale. Director of Football Deco has returned from Japan to begin handling transfers, with Forte and Jan Vigilli likely to be next in line.

If a player does depart, it will likely be similar to Pablo Torre’s departure, with Barcelona retaining a percentage of the sale fee and potentially even having a buy-back option.

The Tendency Between Forte and Flick

Despite Forte being the only remaining right-back after Jules Koundé, he barely played last season. Eric García was favored over Forte in important matches, and Flick publicly criticized the defender after the youngster expressed frustration with his lack of opportunities in April. This suggests that Flick does not trust Forte as much as his predecessor, Xavi Hernández.