Barcelona and Real Madrid will reportedly face stiff competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign Fabian Ruiz from Serie A giants Napoli.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Real Madrid are no longer the only European bigwigs in the race to sign Fabian Ruiz. The 25-year-old midfielder is also a target for Bayern Munich, who will enter the market for a midfielder in the summer transfer window.
Fabian Ruiz has gone from strength to strength since joining Napoli from Real Betis in July 2018. Now widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Serie A, the Spanish international has been a key figure for the Partenopei over the last four years while also establishing a foothold in the Spanish national side.
The 25-year-old has made 156 appearances for Napoli, chipping in with 21 goals and 14 assists in the process. But there is speculation surrounding Ruiz’s long-term future, as he has a little over twelve months remaining on his current contract. It is hardly surprising that he has become a highly sought-after player in the transfer market, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich hot on his trail.
The interest from Barcelona is partly due to Sergio Busquets’s advancing years. The veteran midfielder is approaching the final phase of his illustrious career and may start getting phased out of the first-team picture sooner or later. With Riqui Puig facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou, Barcelona will need to invest in a midfielder this coming summer.
As for Real Madrid, Dani Ceballos and Isco will likely depart the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window after falling to the bottom of the pecking order of midfielders. With Luka Modric in the twilight of his career, bringing in someone like Fabian Ruiz will enable Real Madrid to have a successor in place for the Croatian international.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are the latest entrants in the race to sign the 25-year-old. The Bavarian giants will need to delve into the market for a central midfielder in the summer as Marc Roca and Corentin Tolisso will likely depart the Allianz Arena. Ruiz is a viable target for Bayern Munich, who have also shown an interest in other Barcelona and Real Madrid targets, like Ryan Gravenberch.
Apart from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City are also interested in signing Ruiz. But the 25-year-old is reportedly keen on joining Barcelona or Real Madrid, leaving Bayern Munich with an uphill task of signing him in the summer.
