Serie A club Napoli are set to open the doors for Arsenal to make a move for coveted midfielder Fabián Ruiz, according to Italian journalist Paolo Bargiggia, as the player’s contract nears its final year.
The Gunners, set for a busy summer after the announcement of their first signing of the season, Marquinhos, have been linked with Ruiz in recent months in their bid to bolster their midfield.
Several reports have also placed Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma, now set for rivals Tottenham Hotspur, on Arsenal’s agenda, but reports of Ruiz’s unwillingness to remain in the city of Naples broadens the horizon further for Mikel Arteta and his team.
As per Bargiggia’s report on 1 Football Club, via CalcioNapoli24, the Spanish midfielder’s quest for a move away is likely to exclude him from Napoli’s first-team plans, alerting the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Juventus in the Italian club’s quest to cash in on the star.
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On Ruiz, Bargiggia confirms: “The club is, in fact, having a tough approach on Fabián. The player wants to leave the team, so Napoli will listen to important offers, or he’ll be relegated to the bench, as he’ll be excluded from the club’s project.
“I bring back the interest from Arsenal and Juventus, even if the ‘Bianconeri’ cannot make proposals worth €30-40 million.”
With Juventus struggling to compete financially with its Premier League transfer rivals, Arsenal will have to make their minds up quickly if they’re to pip Man City to Ruiz’s signature.
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The English champions are eyeing a successor to current star İlkay Gündoğan, himself linked with a reunion with Arteta in the past, opening up the prospect for a domino-effect transfer.
Patrick Ribeiro