Barcelona Remain Keen on Fabián Ruiz But Signing New Striker Is Top Priority
By Tom Gott
Barcelona are still keen on a deal for Napoli midfielder Fabián Ruiz, but they are not prioritising a move for the Spaniard - as they would prefer to focus on signing a new striker.
The 23-year-old enjoyed an impressive debut season in Naples, but it was his stellar performances in the summer's Under-21 European Championship which saw Fabián fire his way onto the radar of a number of European giants.
Barcelona were one of those sides tracking him after the conclusion of the tournament and, according to AS, they still remain keen, but their abundance of central midfielders means recruiting Fabián is not currently a top priority.
They will instead focus on bringing in a new striker, having drawn up a seven-man shortlist of potential replacements for Luis Suárez which includes the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane.
Barcelona are also ready to move for a new centre-back if Samuel Umtiti cannot shake off his lengthy injury struggles but, once those two positions are taken care off, they will then turn their attention to midfield.
As it stands, Barcelona have plenty of central midfielders at their disposal, although the club expects that number to drop significantly by the end of the season.
The likes of Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets could all grow frustrated with their reduced role this season, and the departures of all three would certainly leave Barcelona light in that department.
Rakitic is expected to be the first out the door. Calciomercato claim that both Manchester United and AC Milan are willing to offer the Croatian an escape route in January, which could accelerate Barcelona's pursuit of Fabián.
When they do decide to act on their desire for a new central midfielder, the Napoli man is expected to be near the top of their wish list, given Barcelona have followed him for over four years already.
However, at the minute, Barcelona feel as though there are more urgent matters to attend to, but they are still expected to pursue Fabián - particularly if rumoured interest from rivals Real Madrid comes to fruition.