Barcelona Transfer News: Hector Bellerin Made Priority Target, Latest Rumours

Barcelona have reportedly made Arsenal's Hector Bellerin their No. 1 target at right-back as they seek to replace Aleix Vidal.

According to Tomas Andreu of Catalan daily Sport, manager Luis Enrique and sporting director Robert Fernandez have identified the Spaniard as the man to fulfil their needs, and he has been made "a clear objective for the near future."

Indeed, Andreu said "there is total unanimity that Bellerin is the perfect candidate" as he is a "young right-back, capable of attacking and bringing stability to the flank in the long term" and has the "maturity and ideal skill sets to fit into Barcelona's system."

The long-serving Dani Alves left in the summer, but Barca have thus far struggled to replace him, with Vidal failing to impress. Grup 14's Diana Kristinne noted as much following the Blaugrana's shock defeat to Alaves earlier in September:

Bellerin would indeed make a worthy replacement for the Brazilian, though.

The 21-year-old earned a place in last year's PFA Team of the Year and is known for his incredible pace and contributions going forward.

Bellerin is even eager to test his skills against the world's fastest man:

The youngster provides more than just electric pace—he notched a goal and eight assists in all competitions last season, and he's an excellent dribbler, too, per Squawka Football:

Unlike a number of attacking full-backs, Bellerin is accomplished defensively and is still improving in that regard.

Arsenal blogger Jeorge Bird noted as much:

Indeed, he's well on his way to becoming the complete full-back—he'd make an outstanding signing for virtually any team, Barca included.

To make him an even more attractive proposition for the Catalan giants, Bellerin rose through the ranks at La Masia for eight years before joining Arsenal at 16, so he's well-versed in the philosophy of the club and its environment.

However, he's one of Arsenal's most important players, and according to Andreu, the Gunners are desperate for him to sign a new deal, perhaps as early as October. If he does, "it will be almost impossible" for Barca to recruit him any time soon.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Should they fail, AS (h/t Football Espana) reported "that Barca's alternatives for Bellerin are Valencia's Joao Cancelo and Shakhtar Donetsk's Darijo Srna."

Of the two, the former is a much more realistic target. Srna has been an excellent player throughout his career but is now 34, but 22-year-old Cancelo is of a similar mould to Bellerin and could make for a viable alternative.

After seeing Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer head to Barca over the summer, though, Valencia may be reluctant to let the Blaugrana snap up another important player in the near future.