Arsenal and Newcastle United reportedly look to be the main contenders to compete for the transfer of Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
The Spain international has been a top performer in his time in Serie A, and it seems he’s now expected to attract plenty of big-name suitors in the near future.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal and Newcastle seem to be showing a strong interest, while Liverpool and Manchester United are also mentioned as lurking in the background.
Ruiz certainly looks like he could strengthen any of these teams, and Arsenal may understandably be particularly keen to get a deal done after a frustrating January transfer window.
The Gunners failed to strengthen in midfield, with Bruno Guimaraes even mocking them in a video on social media as he instead made the move to Newcastle.
Ruiz would be a very decent alternative to Guimaraes, but it remains to be seen if Arsenal can still compete for the very best players after years of decline.
The north London giants are surely going to find it increasingly difficult to lure in talent like this without Champions League football, especially when Newcastle’s wealthy new owners have the advantage of being able to offer so much money, as well as the promise of a big project being built at St James’ Park.
Arsenal urgently need upgrades on the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, so it will be interesting to see how the Ruiz saga unfolds in the weeks and months ahead.