Arsenal and Newcastle have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz, according to several reports.
The Spaniard has rejected a new deal with the Italian outfit, which has alerted the two English clubs alongside Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport previously reported that Newcastle offered just under €50million (£41.9million) for Ruiz in January but he is reportedly not interested in a move to St James' Park. He now has 13 months left on his contract, with his valuation thought to be around £20-25m.
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But with their upturn in form since January, a move to the north-east may be more attractive than first thought.
Arsenal are favourites for the former Real Betis midfielder though, and it is certainly a position they want to strengthen in. Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny have all failed to deliver at the Emirates.
Youri Tielemans and Ruben Neves have both been linked with a move to join Mikel Arteta's side recently, but overall Ruiz may be a cheaper and more effective option.
Ruiz has played in Naples since his 2018 move from Andalusia, making 125 league appearances in his four years at the club. He was part of the Spain side that won the European Under-21 Championship in 2019, winning the ‘Golden Player’ award.
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With just a year left, he could also walk away from Napoli on a free transfer at the end of next season - Luciano Spalletti probably wouldn’t be keen.
At just 26, he still has time to develop into a top midfielder at a club like Arsenal, becoming a key part of Arteta’s plans. This is less likely to happen at Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Chris Stonadge