- Villa show interest in Fort
- Barcelona reluctant to sell
- Player shares agent with Emery
Getty Images SportAston Villa ask Barcelona about young full-back but La Liga champions reluctant to let him go

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There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.

Pro
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Sport, Villa have approached Barcelona about signing young full-back Fort. The move is driven by manager Unai Emery and sporting director Monchi, who both have a strong track record of targeting Spanish talent. Fort and Emery are also represented by the same agency, potentially making negotiations smoother.
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Villa are are looking to reinforce at full-back with Andres Garcia likely to leave after struggling for minutes. However, financial restrictions following a UEFA fine mean any Fort deal would have to be low-cost, possibly a loan. Monchi’s summer spending has been limited to €37 million (£31m/$41m), splashing €30m (£26m/$33m) on striker Evann Guessand and €7m on Turkish centre-back Yasin Ozcan, who was immediately loaned to Anderlecht. Barcelona, meanwhile, value Fort highly and see him as part of their future plans, making them unwilling to sanction a permanent sale.
TELL ME MORE...
The 19-year-old has drawn interest from several clubs, including Paris FC and Mallorca, though the latter’s offer was not convincing. The Catalan giants would consider a loan or structured transfer keeping a high percentage of his rights and a buy-back clause, in line with their recent approach to youth talent. For Fort, guaranteed playing time will be key in deciding his next move.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR HECTOR FORT?
Fort is expected to make a decision on his future next week, weighing offers from across Europe. If Villa push ahead, they will need to convince Barcelona of a deal that preserves the Catalan club’s long-term stake in the player.
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