Fabian Ruiz suggested in yesterday’s interview that some Spanish teams chased after him in the past, and he was referring to Barcelona in particular. The Blaugrana tried to capture him multiple times in the last few years. However, Napoli always slapped price tags that they deemed too expensive, Mundo Deportivo informs.
The first attempt dates back to 2019 when Ernesto Valverde was at the helm. The Azzurri asked for €80M, and the deal did not move past the initial stage. They came knocking again a year later when Quique Setien, who had coached Fabian Ruiz at Real Betis, was on the Barcelona bench. The Catalans also inquired more recently during the Ronald Koeman era. The Partenopei wanted €50-60M at the time, which scared away the suitors.
According to the Spanish newspaper, the Blaugrana could pursue the midfielder again next summer. He is in the midst of his best season, but he never signed an extension since joining in 2018. His contract expires in 2023, which impacts his evaluation.
The parties have not properly engaged in the negotiation to renew it yet, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs. They are on polar terms on the wages. He currently earns €1.5M, and La Liga giants offered to double his salary. The talks could progress if Napoli qualified for the Champions League, though.
Barcelona would eventually face competition to sign Fabian Ruiz from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The 25-year-old is very tight with Carlo Ancelotti. Moreover, the Colchorenos were the team that expressed the most interest in the recent summer window.