LIVERPOOL LINKED WITH FABIÁN RUIZ

Liverpool are reportedly showing an interest in Napoli midfielder Fabián Ruiz. It is claimed that the 23-year-old central midfielder is attracting interest from Reds’ boss Jürgen Klopp and that he could be considered for recruitment next year.

Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, the versatile midfielder is attracting interest across Europe as a result of his impressive performances in Serie A and if you believe the latest reports, Liverpool are amongst the clubs monitoring his progress.

The player’s idol is former Barcelona ace Xavi, a player he admits to learning from and basing his own game on.

“I fell in love with football thanks to Xavi,” said Ruiz in an interview earlier this year. “He was a pillar for Barcelona and Spain for so many years and I dream of following in his footsteps.”

Although his preferred position is in the centre, Ruiz is also comfortable on the left side of midfield and he’s happy fitting into a number of different formations. His passing accuracy is exceptional and he has a fierce shot. He impresses with his exciting technique and tactical intelligence but he’s still prone to the occasional mistake although he’s maturing all of the time.

He signed for Napoli in July 2018 from Real Betis after the Italians triggered a €30million (£26.7million) buy-out clause. He’s under contract until 2023. He has been capped twice by Spain.

Former Spain boss Luis Enrique once commented: “Fabian has a beastly shot. He had the courage to take on a tough league like Serie A and he’s developing well at Napoli.”

We’re not sure that Liverpool need any more midfielders although there are rumours that a couple of them could be shipped out next year.

• More on Ruiz and other potential Liverpool FC transfer targets on our members’ website.