Barcelona already scouting the market to reinforce key position in 2025 | OneFootball

Barcelona are reportedly planning ahead for next season, with Mundo Deportivo revealing that the club is actively searching for a new right-back.

While Jules Kounde has been solid in this position so far, covering every minute of the current campaign, the club is already thinking about long-term solutions.

As things stand, Kounde has cemented his spot as Barcelona’s first-choice right-back. He has been reliable and consistent, playing in all of the team’s matches without missing a single minute.

Behind him, there’s young Hector Fort, who serves as a backup. However, Fort is yet to start a match this season. While he has been included in the squad for several games, his playing time has come in small bursts, always as a substitute.

Right-back an area of concern

Fort’s limited opportunities highlight his current role within the team. He is part of the first-team setup but remains the only player who has not started a game.

Most of the other squad members aside from those temporarily promoted from the youth ranks to fill gaps, have at least started one match this season.

Hector Fort has not featured much for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The question of Kounde’s workload is also starting to surface. While the Frenchman is expected to continue his run in the Champions League tie against Young Boys, he will eventually need rest.

At this moment, Kounde is the only reliable right-back the team has. Now, they did try to replace Joao Cancelo during the previous market, but financial limitations forced them to overlook this position.

Limited game time

For now, until the rest of the season, the big question is whether Fort will be trusted to fill in for him when that happens.

So far, Fort has only seen limited minutes in matches against Girona (29 minutes), Villarreal (9 minutes), Getafe (2 minutes), and Osasuna (5 minutes), always coming off the bench.

Although the youngster has shown promise in these short spells, the club is being cautious and looking ahead. Barcelona reportedly believes that more depth in this position is necessary and has already begun exploring the market for a potential signing next summer.

With youth players like Marc Casado also having been used at right-back for Barça Atletic, it is clear that the club is assessing all available options for the future while keeping Kounde’s current workload in mind.