Having reached a deal in principle to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna for a fee of £42m, Arsenal are now turning their full transfer attention to the engine room.
Mikel Arteta has sculpted an almighty outfit in north London but accepts that several signings are needed after falling short to Manchester City in the Premier League title for a second successive year.
Declan Rice joined in a club-record £105m transfer last summer, but the Gunners are now preparing to make a move for the final piece of the puzzle in the middle, and no, it's not Mikel Merino.
Arsenal transfer news
According to Foot Mercato, Arsenal are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain's Fabian Ruiz this summer but have not yet approached the Ligue 1 champions. This follows claims from Football Transfers that Arsenal have been locked in negotiations for the Euro 2024 champion.
Ruiz, 28, is not up for sale in the French capital but nor is he considered untouchable, and if the right offer arrives he will be allowed to search for pastures new.
Why Arsenal should sign Fabian Ruiz
Ruiz signed for PSG from Napoli two years ago for an initial fee of just €21.5m (£18m). It's unlikely that he would command a colossal outlay to sign, and when compatriot Mikel Merino, who played in his shadow for Spain at the Euros, is reportedly going to cost around £25m, Arsenal might be wise to look in Paris' direction.
Matches played
6
6
Matches started
6
6
Goals
1
2
Assists
0
2
Pass completion
93%
91%
Touches per game
83.7
86.3
Key passes per game
1.0
1.7
Ball recoveries per game
6.8
7.7
Dribbles per game
0.3
2.0
Possession won per game
1.0
2.3
Tackles per game
2.3
1.5
Duels won per game
5.2 (56%)
4.3 (55%)
Rodri was crowned the Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament after his formidable performances at the heart of the Spanish outfit, but might it be fair to say that Ruiz was the true heartbeat of Luis de la Fuente's triumph? The manager himself noted the PSG maestro's "incredible" efforts.
Ruiz was immense, producing complete displays to reaffirm his name as one of Europe's finest in the middle of the park. Across his 2023/24 club campaign, the £147k-per-week star showcased his dynamic qualities, ranking among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, the top 6% for assists and the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
His artistic, press-resistent approach to his football could see him perform expertly alongside Rice in the centre of the park for Arsenal, producing the kind of deep-lying, ball-playing performances that would allow the England international to raise his name even higher in his newfound No. 8 role.
The statistics-led site even mark Rodri as one of Ruiz's most comparable players, with his metronomic style and combative nature marking him as the perfect addition to bolster Arteta's team and edge closer toward leapfrogging Pep Guardiola's Citizens at the summit of English football.
Arsenal need another piece to complete their midfield and sway the odds in their favour this season, and Ruiz could prove to be the perfect addition, one who could make all the difference.
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