La Liga giants Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Millonarios whizkid Daniel Ruiz.
Barcelona are interested in signing Colombian wonderkid Daniel Ruiz Rivera to bolster their attack, but face stiff competition from Manchester City. That is according to Spanish publication SPORT, who claims the Blaugrana have been keeping tabs on the 21-year-old for quite a while now and have only received positive scout reports about the player.
Ruiz plies his trade for Colombian outfit Millonarios FC in the Liga Dimayor, the Colombian top-flight. He initially drew attention following an impressive 2021/22 campaign, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists in 45 games across all competitions.
Since arriving from Colombian second-tier side Fortaleza CEIF, he has been generating decent numbers. Ruiz has 12 goals and 18 assists to his name from 90 competitive outings for the Blue Ballet at the age of just 21 but is yet to be called up to the Colombian national squad.
Regarded as one of the most promising midfielders in Colombian football, the youngster’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed across the world, with a host of top-notch European clubs monitoring his progress.
Barcelona, for one, just strengthened their attack with the blockbuster additions of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who have fit in like a glove at Camp Nou. With Ousmane Dembele in terrific form, Memphis Depay showing promise in his limited minutes, and Ansu Fati yet to return to full fitness, it is safe to say they are well-stocked with quality upfront.
However, that does not mean they are not on the lookout for promising talent. Barcelona always appear to be planning for the future and seem prepared to undergo major reshuffles in transition from their golden era.
It is claimed that they are pushing hard to jump ahead of the queue in the race for Brazilian wonderkid Endrick. And Barcelona now have their eyes set on Daniel Ruiz, with Xavi Hernandez said to be a huge admirer of the winger. The 21-year-old will certainly fit the club’s long-term vision of shaping the next generation. The likes of Gavi, Pedri, Alejandro Balde, and more are already thriving under Xavi.
However, Barcelona are not the only ones interested in the Colombian starlet, with Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City also named in the report by SPORT. The duo sent scouts to watch the player live in Millonarios’s 1-0 defeat to Junior FC in the first leg of the Copa Colombia final.
