Everton have moved to the front of the queue to sign Barcelona defender Hector Fort, leapfrogging Merseyside rivals Liverpool in the process.
The 20-year-old full-back looks set to leave the Nou Camp, with Barcelona now open to a permanent sale ahead of the transfer deadline.
Fort spent last season on loan at Elche, where he contributed to four league goals while developing his game in Spain’s second tier.
His technical qualities have drawn significant attention, with the young defender completing 1.49 dribbles per game during his time at Elche last season.
Fort also maintained a 57% success rate for long passes, suggesting he has the range and vision to support attacking play from deep positions.
Those passing statistics are particularly relevant for Everton, as the right-back would have the ability to pick out Thierno Barry in behind or find Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall running from deep.
Defensively, Fort won five duels and just over two tackles per 90 last season, numbers that suggest a balanced profile rather than any obvious weakness at the back.
Scout Antonio Mango has dubbed the Barcelona youngster “extremely talented,” and Premier League clubs are now doing battle for his signature.
As reported by TeamTalk, Everton and Fulham are the two clubs most strongly linked, with the Toffees holding an edge over Liverpool despite the latter’s long-term interest in the player.
Everton’s need for a right-back has been well-documented, with the club yet to find a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman since the Irishman’s departure.
Fort, who can play on either flank, is seen as a player with the ceiling to become the club’s heir to Coleman over the coming years.
The potential arrival of Fort is not the only significant transfer development at Goodison Park this summer, with Everton having agreed a swap deal to sign Brennan Johnson from Crystal Palace.
Dwight McNeil will move in the opposite direction as part of that arrangement, with both clubs getting what they were reportedly seeking from the deal.
Johnson previously starred for Nottingham Forest before earning a club-record move to Crystal Palace in January, and Everton will be hoping he can rediscover that earlier form on Merseyside.