Manchester United and Arsenal are set to battle it out for the services of Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz this summer.
According to RAI journalist Ciro Venerato (h/t Sport Witness), Napoli are ready to offload Fabian Ruiz in the summer transfer window. The club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis is prepared to listen to offers for the midfielder and is expected to sanction a sale if any club come up with a bid of around €30 million.
Ruiz’s precarious situation at Napoli has put Manchester United and Arsenal on red alert. The two Premier League giants could potentially go head to head in the race to sign the midfielder, who has proven to be an excellent servant for Napoli over the years.
With 166 competitive appearances for the club, Ruiz’s technical essence in the middle third of the pitch, combined with his work ethic and versatility has played a key role behind Napoli’s success over the years. But the club’s intention to sell the midfielder this summer makes sense, as the Spanish international’s current deal expires in 2023.
It essentially means this could be Napoli’s last opportunity to make a decent revenue out of Ruiz before the Spaniard leaves the club on a free transfer in 2023.
Thanks to years of success, Ruiz has found no shortage of suitors either. Arsenal, for one, are scouring the Italian market for midfield reinforcements this summer. They have been linked with a move for Juventus’ Arthur Melo for a long time while his teammate Weston McKennie is another target for coach Mikel Arteta.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are in the market for a direct replacement for Paul Pogba. The enigmatic Frenchman is set to end his spell at Old Trafford this summer, and it appears a return to Juventus could be in the offing, having reportedly agreed a three-year contract with the Serie A giants.
Someone like Fabian Ruiz could prove to be an ideal investment for both the Premier League clubs. As mentioned earlier, the Spaniard offers the technical essence in midfield, while his hard work and aggression make him a useful asset in the second line of press.
A fee of €30 million is also fairly reasonable for a player of his calibre, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the race to sign the Napoli ace this summer.
