Real Madrid have had their eyes on Napoli center midfielder Fabian Ruiz, but since Luka Modric is fully expected to stay with the club, the Spanish international makes even less sense for Los Blancos.
It’s impossible to predict what the 2020 summer transfer market will look like, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from swirling with possibilities for Real Madrid.
Napoli center midfielder Fabian Ruiz, who once ruled the Real Betis midfield with current Los Blancos’ loanee Dani Ceballos, has been consistently linked to the club.
Ruiz’s asking price is sky-high, given he’s locked into a contract with Napoli for the foreseeable future. The current economic crisis in football due to COVID-19 makes it even less likely Napoli will sell Ruiz, since the 100 million euros (or more) they reportedly desire won’t be met by any club.
It seems like Ruiz wants to leave Napoli for FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, as both La Liga powerhouses have shown significant interest in Ruiz.
However, as elegant as his playing style is and as important as he was to Napoli in the 2019-2020 Serie A campaign, signing him makes little sense for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are loaded in midfield with Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, and Casemiro the optimal starting three. Beyond them, Real have a resurgent Isco, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez still on the books, and Marco Asensio returning from injury. While Asensio and Isco can play wide, their presence makes a midfielder like Ruiz even less necessary.
Ruiz is more of a holding midfielder and passer who has a playing style closer to Kroos than either Isco or Asensio, but the point remains. Real Madrid are stacked at the heart of the pitch. And that doesn’t even consider the future of Martin Ødegaard, who could potentially return for the 2020-2021 season early from his loan deal with Real Sociedad.
While an Ødegaard return is unlikely, the possibility is another reminder of how little Los Blancos would need to splurge on Ruiz, even if he is a talented player.
But Modric’s presence is the real kicker. Modric was mentioned in transfer rumors with one year left on his contract, as there was smoke linking him to an MLS deal – or even a move to Ruiz’s current league in Italy.
However, Modric is highly unlikely to leave, especially during a pandemic when Real Madrid need to hold onto all their quality players. And despite being 34, Modric showed plenty of running and fire left in him in all phases of the game as a bounce-back performer under Zinedine Zidane in 2019-2020.
Modric’s continued service to the club in 2020-2021 means that a deal for the high-priced Fabian Ruiz is even less likely. Ruiz may want the deal and some people within Real may want to push for it, but a signing would be completely irresponsible. With Modric still holding down the fort as the best backup option for Kroos in midfield, a current need for Ruiz is non-existent. Real can wait.