NAPLES, ITALY - DECEMBER 10: Fabian Ruiz of SSC Napoli during the UEFA Europa League Group F stage match between SSC Napoli and Real Sociedad at Stadio San Paolo on December 10, 2020 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
According to an older report from Manchester Evening News, Manchester City were said to be interested in Fabian Ruiz of Napoli. However, they didn’t proceed with the deal as Napoli placed a huge price tag on him. Real Madrid and Barcelona have also held interest in the player.
Fabian Ruiz is a 24-year-old Spanish central midfielder who plays for Serie A side Napoli. A product of Real Betis’ academy, he spent 10 years in their youth teams. He was promoted to Betis’ B team in 2014 and went on to make 23 appearances for them.
A few seasons later, he was called up to the first-team but with chances hard to come by, he was sent on loan to Elche for the second half of the season. In total, he made 59 appearances for Betis, scoring thrice and assisting seven times (source – Transfermarkt).
It was only after his move to Napoli that he started gaining prominence. He has made 104 appearances for Napoli and so far, he has scored 12 goals and assisted 10. The Spaniard was a vital member of the Spain U-21 squad that won the UEFA European U-21 Championship in 2019. He is currently a part of the senior side and has 9 caps and 1 goal to his name.
Manchester City haven’t quite taken off this season like they usually do. They have won just 7 of their opening 14 games this season. Quite a lot of their players aren’t firing on all cylinders and it looks like they could do with some fresh faces, especially in the middle of the park.
Fabian Ruiz looks readymade for Manchester City. He is a silky dribbler of the ball and can get out of tight spaces with ease. Let’s not forget he has a brilliant eye for a pass. City aren’t enjoying the best of starts to their season. They look short on creativity and goals.
The introduction of Ruiz can be a shot in the arm that they so desperately need. He can provide goals from the midfield and at 24, he is the future of the Spanish national team. Manchester City need to sign Ruiz as soon as they can as he will prove to be a valuable addition to their squad.