Atletico Madrid will reportedly provide stiff competition to Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race to sign Fabian Ruiz in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Real Madrid face stiff competition in the race to sign Fabian Ruiz in the summer transfer window. La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Betis are also keen on signing the Spanish midfielder, who will leave Napoli ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Fabian Ruiz has come leaps and bounds since joining Napoli from Real Betis in July 2018. The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A in the last four years while also establishing a foothold in the Spanish national side.
To date, Ruiz has turned out 164 times for the Partenopei, chipping in with 21 goals and 15 assists in the process. But Napoli will likely lose the services of Ruiz in the summer transfer window, as his contract expires next year and negotiations over a renewal have stalled. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona will definitely bolster the midfield department in the summer transfer window, with Franck Kessie set to join the Blaugrana in a Bosman move. But amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona might need to invest in another midfielder, making Ruiz a viable target to replace the Dutchman.
As for Real Madrid, Isco will likely depart from the Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent in the summer transfer window, thereby opening up a spot in the midfield unit. With Luka Modric and Toni Kroos approaching the final phases of their respective careers, the interest from Real Madrid in Ruiz makes a world of sense.
Barcelona and Real Madrid now face stiff competition from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid in the race to sign Ruiz. The Colchoneros will need to sign a central midfielder in the summer transfer window as Hector Herrera will join Houston Dynamo, while Rodrigo De Paul faces an uncertain future at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Ruiz has also emerged on the radar of former club Real Betis. But recent reports have claimed that the 26-year-old wants to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid after leaving Napoli. It will be interesting to see if Atletico Madrid or Real Betis can convince the Spaniard to join them instead of the two La Liga powerhouses.
