Spanish news outlet, El Confidencial has reported that Arsenal are one of the Premier League sides who are interested in Real Betis midfielder, Fabian Ruiz. Once considered as just a rotational option, the 21-year-old has broken into the first team of the Green and Whites from the heart of park registering 2 goals and 2 assists in 17 appearances so far into the season.
Ruiz joined the Betis youth setup in 2004 and started his professional career quickly climbing through the club ranks to the reserve team in 2014. He made his senior debut the same year on 21 September against Marbella FC and was called up on international duty for the Spanish U19 and U21 sides.
Ruiz is an attacking midfielder by trade but can appear from a deeper position and from the wing areas as well. The 6 feet 2 inches lanky presence around the central circle wiggles his way past opposition defenders and has the vision to formulate attacks at will. Ruiz’s premium technical abilities paired with the composure to hold onto the ball in tight spaces makes him a huge threat in the La Liga. But can he make it in the English game?
A fleet of La Liga players have found their way into the Premier League on lucrative deals but only a minority have really found their feet. Santi Cazorla is one of the rare cases who has flourished at Arsenal and maybe Arsene Wenger is tapping into the same streamline to find another hidden gem.
Ruiz’s talents are no longer hidden and the player has already been slapped with a £13.2m price tag, something which will not really burn a hole in Arsenal’s pockets. They have just lost their best-attacking player, Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United and it looks like his absence has left a major ic gap in the club ranks.
Even with Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s arrival, the club has seen the exit of 3 more players over the past couple of seasons. Francis Coquelin made his way out of the club on a shock transfer to Valencia and his replacement needs to be considered. Mesut Ozil’s contract situation already has all the fans at Emirates on the edge and the German might just follow the footsteps of his former Chilean teammate over to Manchester in the summer.
But even with so many positions to consider, can Ruiz carve out a starting spot in the Arsenal lineup? It is highly unlikely due to the similarity of his game to that of Aaron Ramsey, who has returned from his injury spell and is highly favoured by the manager.
