Real Madrid right winger Lucas Vazquez is among a handful of attacking player who could leave the team this summer, but could Los Blancos use the experienced wide man to sign Fabian Ruiz?
In Donny van de Beek, Paul Pogba, and Fabian Ruiz, Real Madrid have three top options in center midfielder on the summer transfer market. Pogba appears to be Zinedine Zidane‘s dream pick, but he may be unrealistic. Van de Beek reportedly signed a pre-agreed deal, but his future transfer is now up in the air. Ruiz, a Spain international, could be an intriguing signing if the price is right.
According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli are reportedly eyeing Lucas Vazquez as part of a deal for Fabian Ruiz.
Napoli had previously been linked to young Madrid striker Luka Jovic, who was viewed as a possible replacement for Arkadiusz Milik. However, La Gazzetta reports that the club has now turned its attention to Vazquez as a possible replacement for former Madrid man Jose Callejon, who became quite the important player in Serie A.
Per the report, Vazquez’s inclusion in the deal would cut Napoli’s asking price for Ruiz in half from 60 million euros to 30 million euros, which should appeal to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have been consistently linked to Ruiz ever since his solid 2018-2019 season. The former Real Betis man has also received interest from arch-rivals FC Barcelona, as well as recent inquiries from Jürgen Klopp’s dominant Liverpool side.
However, Real Madrid have always been the overwhelming favorites, with Ruiz seemingly intent on joining Los Merengues this summer. At one point, Napoli were asking for nearly 100 million euros for the star, hoping to keep the all-important, ball-controlling midfielder at all costs. They reduced their price to a still-bloated 80 million euros, though it seems like they’ve now settled on a much more reasonable 60 million euros.
Ruiz was exceptional in 2019-2020 for Napoli, completing 90.5 percent of his passes, per WhoScored.com, and was arguably the team’s best player alongside Lorenzo Insigne.
At 24, Ruiz has incredible upside and can be a future star for the Spain national team. He has the shooting range, technical quality, passing ability, and defensive contribution to be a star in Madrid.
Meanwhile, Vazquez is among a number of players Real Madrid are expected to let walk this summer. He’s a nice role player who can be a good squad player at right wing, while also providing versatility as a right back. But with Achraf Hakimi back from loan and Rodrygo Goes set to break out, there’s no space for Vazquez in the squad.
If Napoli do indeed want Vazquez and value him in a cash plus player swap deal for Ruiz, then that looks like an ideal scenario for Real Madrid.