Barcelona and Real Madrid have reportedly set their sights on Fabian Ruiz, who is also a target for Atletico Madrid and could leave Napoli soon.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Fabian Ruiz is the subject of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid over a possible move in the future. The La Liga giants join Atletico Madrid in the race to sign the Spanish international from Napoli, with PSG also keeping a keen eye on his situation at the Serie A outfit.
Fabian Ruiz joined Napoli from boyhood club Real Betis in the summer of 2018 and has since grown into a key player for the club. A mainstay in midfield for his national side as well, the Spaniard has come leaps and bounds in the last couple of years.
This season, though, Ruiz has been in and out of the starting lineup, with Gennaro Gattuso rotating him a great deal so far. So, while Ruiz has appeared in all but one game for Napoli this term, he has started 13 of the 20 matches they have played till date. His future at the club, though, is uncertain, which has piqued the interest of Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others.
Barcelona bolstered their midfield this past summer by signing Miralem Pjanic while Pedri and Philippe Coutinho joined Ronald Koeman’s squad as well. However, Coutinho has flattered to deceive after a bright start to the season while Sergio Busquets is regressing drastically. Furthermore, Riqui Puig and Carles Alena face uncertain futures at Camp Nou.
As a result, it is not surprising that Barcelona are showing an interest in Ruiz, who can reprise various roles in the middle of the park. Real Madrid’s requirement, on the other hand, is somewhat different as compared to their bitter La Liga rivals.
Los Blancos simply need to plan for life after Luka Modric, with the veteran Croat in the twilight of his glittering career. While Modric has been in stunning form in 2020, he is unlikely to have many years left at the top, meaning Real Madrid do need to lay down the succession plan for the former Ballon d’Or winner.
Ruiz, to that end, is a viable target for Real Madrid, although it is not them or Barcelona that seem to be holding the most serious of interest in the player. Instead, it is Atletico Madrid who have previously tried to snap him up and appear to be ready to make a move again.
Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Barcelona or Real Madrid follow up on their interest in Ruiz with a decisive move or if they set their sights elsewhere, with Youri Tielemans another such target. For now, it looks like the Napoli superstar is a possible target for the Spanish heavyweights.
