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Arsenal have been handed a major blow in their pursuit of Napoli playmaker Fabian Ruiz, as per journalist Raffaele Auriemma. The Italian has claimed that the Spanish midfield maestro has snubbed the Gunners as he looks to wait for offers from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 25-year-old has been really impressive for Luciano Spalletti's Napoli side this campaign. A string of impressive displays from Gli Azzurri has seen him attract interest from a host of clubs across the continent, including Arsenal.
However, Auriemma has nothing but bad news for the north London club as he says that the former Real Betis star is not keen on a move to the Emirates. Representatives from Mikel Arteta's side have already been in contact with the 25-year-old's entourage but the player is reportedly looking for a bigger challenge.
Auriemma told Italian TV station TeleClubItalia, as relayed by arenanapoli.it:
"I believe that Fabian Ruiz will leave Napoli at the end of the season. There’s been a proposal from Arsenal. But I understand that the player doesn’t want to join the Gunners. The midfielder is waiting for other offers, be they from Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid.”
Ruiz has been a key player for the Naples club over the last few years since making the move to Italy from Real Betis in 2018. He has six goals and four assists in 28 games across all competitions for the Serie A side, who are battling it out with Inter Milan and AC Milan for the Scudetto.
The 15-time capped Spanish international has 18 months remaining in his current deal with Napoli. This means they risk losing Ruiz for nothing if they don't cash in on him this summer.
Ruiz has made a total of 156 appearances for Napoli till date having found the back of the net on 21 occasions while providing 14 assists.
Arsenal desperately need to add quality to their midfield
Mikel Arteta is defying the odds with a very thin Arsenal squad at his disposal and his midfield options look pretty limited. The Gunners, though, can focus on the race for a top-four finish as they are no longer competing in cup competitions this season.
The Gunners only have Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga as their options at number eight. It is imperative that the London giants bolster their midfield ranks in the summer.
