Barcelona: Joao Cancelo emerges as top transfer target over Arsenal's Hector Bellerin as Dani Alves exit looms

Barcelona have turned their attention to Valencia's Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo to replace the outgoing Dani Alves after being spurned in their advances for Hector Bellerin, according to reports.

Alves, 33, has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus, with the Serie A club's general director Beppe Marotta saying he is "very optimistic" of signing the Brazilian defender.

Earlier reports suggested that Barcelona were after Arsenal's Bellerin as replacement for Alves, but Diario Sport claims the Catalans have been put off by the Gunners' asking price of €40m (£30m).

The Camp Nou club have now moved on to other targets, including the 22-year-old Cancelo and Sevilla right-back Mariano Ferreira.

Sport says Barca sounded out Valencia over Cancelo's availability on 30 May, with the player reported to be attainable for a transfer fee of around €20m.

The paper added that the full-back, who made 28 La Liga appearances for Valencia this season, would cost even less if one of Alex Halilovic or Cristian Tello is included as part of a swap deal.

Alves exit

Juventus chief Marotta said on 30 May that he was hopeful of concluding a deal for Alves, who has made more than 350 appearances for Barcelona since signing from Sevilla in 2008.

"We want to win our sixth [successive league] title and do our best in Europe, this is why we want to do our best in the market," he was quoted as saying by Football Italia.

"Dani Alves? We've focused our attentions on him. If his availability came up, we'd try to negotiate a contractual relationship with him.

"From this point of view, we're very optimistic. We'll retouch the squad with a few additions, but ones of great quality."

Marotta said he also wanted to sign Barcelona's Javier Mascherano, but conceded that a move for the Argentina international would be "difficult".