Manchester City’s interest in Fabián Ruiz is no secret.
Even before the Spaniard moved to Napoli, there were murmurs that Pep Guardiola appreciated what the midfielder had to offer, but the Serie A side pounced first, got him for his €30m or so release clause and will reap the benefits in the future.
Aurelio De Laurentiis knows when there is a profit to be made, which is why he’s extremely reluctant to sell one of his stars on the cheap, and certainly not for €60m, especially with the likes of City, Barcelona and Real Madrid circling.
A story did the rounds in England earlier this month that Ruiz’s price had dropped to £52m or so, but that isn’t the case, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
They explain that while Manchester City do remain interested, the price certainly hasn’t dropped that low, as De Laurentiis wants at least €80m, all the while trying to extend his prize asset’s contract until 2025.
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are trying to get ahead of the curve by wanting to get a deal done before next year’s Euros, as they fear his performance in Spain could see his price increase even more, and you can imagine Guardiola will be thinking along the same lines.While the idea of including Ivan Rakitić or even Luka Jović in the deal has also been touted, Napoli are said to be more interested in the money than the extra players, which sends a clear message to the rest of the suitors.
It’s a lot of money, but at 24 years of age, it’s an investment.
