Manchester United have run out of patience for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong as the midfielder has been reluctant in moving to Old Trafford. The Red Devils as a result have turned their attention to Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz, according to Italian outlet Il Matino. The midfielder has been in high demand since last summer after his impressive displays with the Italian side.
Erik ten Hag has been demanding midfield reinforcements since taking over the club and only Christian Eriksen has arrived in that department. United’s midfield has seen more outgoings than incomings, with Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Parreira having left this summer.
Manchester United table first bid for Fabian Ruiz
Manchester United, despite agreeing a €85 million deal for Frenkie de Jong with Barcelona have been unable to get it over the line. The midfielder himself doesn’t want to leave Camp Nou and it seems United too are not dwelling on his signing anymore. Ten Hag has since asked the club to identify De Jong’s alternatives and close the deal for the one which fits the bill.
The report from Il Matino claims United have submitted an official offer for Fabian Ruiz. The 20-time-Premier League champions do not intend to enter prolonged negotiations for the Spaniard and have hence opened the talks with his agent.
While the figure of the bid has not been disclosed yet, Napoli have reportedly rejected it. The Gli Azzurris are open to entertain bids for their highly rated talent to avoid the risk of losing him for free next summer when his contract expires. Ruiz has decided against an extension after elite clubs from across Europe have shown interest in him.
However, the Naples side wants at least €25 million to part ways with Fabian Ruiz. It could be deemed that United’s bid would have been well below the price tag labelled by Napoli. Nonetheless, €25 million won’t be much of an ask for the Red Devils who want to close a deal as soon as possible.
Ruiz, who naturally operates as a central midfielder can also be deployed as a defensive one. He has established himself as one of the hottest prospects in Europe after consistently delivering for Napoli. The 26-year-old racked by 7 goals and 5 assists in 38 appearances last season across all competitions.
The midfielder further collected 1.7 tackles, 10 passes under pressure, 2.5 shot-creating actions, 14.3 presses and 5 progressive carries per game across his 32 Serie A games. As the numbers tell, Ruiz could fit in perfectly in Ten Hag’s and would cost three times less than De Jong.