La Liga giants Barcelona are considering a move for Southampton right-back Cedric Soares if they fail with their attempt to lure Hector Bellerin away from Arsenal.

The Catalan giants have made Bellerin a primary transfer target as new coach Ernesto Valverde looks to strengthen his defensive line-up ahead of the new season.




However, the Gunners have maintained their not-for-sale stance as manager Arsene Wenger views Bellerin as an integral part of his team.

The team from London have already responded negatively to an enquiry lodged by Barcelona about the availability of the player whom they are claimed to value at around €40m.
 


And now it is believed that the last year's La Liga runners up have turned their attentions elsewhere with Soares being considered as one of the options to take up the role.

relatedNewsStory

Soares joined Southampton in 2015 from Sporting Lisbon for a fee in the region of €6.5m, but his market price has gone up since then.

Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Italian champions Juventus have also kept their eyes open though the new Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino is believed to be against any move for the player.

Soares has a contract with the club that runs until June 2020.