Barcelona may get the better of their arch rivals in their pursuit for a mutual target, who promises to be a major asset for the future.
Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz is a man in demand between the two biggest Spanish teams- Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Spain international has been monitored by the La Liga outfits since a few months now and his evaluation of 100 million euros seems very much within the range of both the teams who are ready to bring him in the summer.
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Earlier on, Real Madrid were thought to have entered advanced negotiations with regards to him. Zinedine Zidane’s presence in the dugout was thought to be influential in a potential deal for Fabian Ruiz as many thought he could be a January signing itself. However, as it turned out, Madrid slowed down their pursuit of Fabian.
Zidane instead decided to focus on the cheaper and more attacking option in Ajax Amsterdam’s Donny van de Beek, who is available for roughly 60 million euros only. Moreover, Federico Valverde coming into the fray and making a name for himself within a matter of months saw Real Madrid prioritize on saving money for a goal-scoring forward.
Diario GOL claims now that Barcelona are set to sign Fabian Ruiz from their Champions League opponents. Quique Setien being appointed as the new manager at the Camp Nou may be a decisive factor in Fabian opting with Barca. The pair has worked together at Real Betis and it was indeed Quique Setien who got the best out of Fabian in Seville.
Barcelona are as it is tipped to part ways with Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal, so Fabian Ruiz’s signing would be a welcome addition to the squad. While he is not a defensive midfielder, de Jong can drop back into the impeded whenever Sergio Busquets needs to be left out and Fabian Ruiz can go the attacking bit which is his speciality as seen under Ancelotti in Italy.
Fabian Ruiz will get a chance to showcase his talents in first-person to the Catalans when his Napoli side faces them in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Serie A giants have their best chance to get the best of Barca given contrasting forms, so in a game that will probably be decided in the centre of the park, Fabian will be instrumental.
Do you think Napoli stand a chance of getting the better of Barca across two legs?