Newcastle United’s hopes of landing Fabian Ruiz have been dealt a blow, with the Spanish international deciding to finish the season with Napoli.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Newcastle United will not be able to sign Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz this month, as he has decided to remain at Napoli until the end of the season. The 25-year-old could be moving clubs in the summer when his situation will be much clearer.
Newcastle United are hoping to end the current transfer window by acquiring all possible targets to bolster their options. Since their takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium in October, the Magpies have become the wealthiest club in the world.
Their idea was to sign all the necessary targets early in the month before targetting marquee arrivals at the end of the window. Newcastle have managed to bring in Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, while they are closing in on landing Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon.
In the Brazilian, they might have signed the central midfielder they wanted, but the Magpies had initially targetted Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz as their primary option. The Spanish international has less than 18 months left on his deal and is already a hot property around the continent.
Napoli had been attempting to renew his deal, but Ruiz has declined their overtures so far. There were indications the Spaniard could depart this month, but Ruiz reportedly wants to finish the season with the Serie A club and angle for a summer move to a bigger club.
Newcastle attempted to bring him to St. James’ Park this month, as they wanted quality players to aid their relegation battle and become a core member of future teams. With Ruiz not planning on leaving Napoli, it will be a blow for the Magpies, who have since switched their attention and possibly sealed a move for Guimaraes.
When Ruiz has 12 months left on his deal in the summer, bigger clubs could be vying for his signature. A return to Spain has been mooted, with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid showing keen interest in the 25-year-old midfielder.
There are significant eyeballs from England as well, with Liverpool and Manchester United among the high profile clubs keen on signing the Spanish international as a long-term option.
As things stand, Ruiz will continue to help Napoli in their bid to challenge for the Serie A title and hope to finish the season among the Champions League places. This has been his best season with the Serie A outfit, and he will hope to continue his rich vein of form in the second half of the season.
