Real Madrid: 5 possible center midfield transfer targets

Fabian Ruiz

Napoli center midfielder Fabian Ruiz is often described as an “elegant” player, and Dani Ceballos‘ former teammate at Real Betis is indeed pleasing to watch. Ruiz is a graceful dribbler with a fine finesse shot and is among Europe’s top passers.

Last season, per WhoScored.com, Napoli’s star midfielder completed 90.5 percent of his passes in Serie A. He only had two goals and two assists, but Ruiz was more about helping the attackers in the final third receive the ball so they could do the rest. Ruiz was arguably Napoli’s best player, often starting attacks in the final third with his accurate passes.

Napoli will have to make Ruiz’s asking price affordable this summer, and the player seems intent on joining Real Madrid or FC Barcelona. Since both rivals are interested, it should lead to an interesting transfer battle, but it’s one that favors Real if they want him.

A rising star at the age of 24, Ruiz has the potential to become a centerpiece player for the Spain national team or a top club in La Liga. But since his play is so similar to Toni Kroos that he wouldn’t start regularly, it’s fair to wonder if he’d be a wise investment for Los Blancos.