‘No quality’: £16m Newcastle target in ‘unbearable’ form after Arsenal talks

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Fabian Ruiz has been in terrible form since the turn of the year despite interest from Premier League suitors Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton, former Serie A star Antonio Cassano tells Twitch. 

Now, Cassano is something of a contrarian.

One suspects, if you asked him to name his favourite Tom Cruise movie, he’d defend the virtues of 1998’s Cocktail to the death. 

But the one-time Inter, Roma and Real Madrid forward might have a point about Ruiz.

That last gasp winner against Lazio in February aside, Napoli’s £30 million Spain international has been a shadow of his usually effervescent self at times in 2022, perhaps distracted a throng of high-profile transfer rumours. 

Is Fabian Ruiz heading to the Premier League?

According to The Mirror, Arsenal have held talks with Ruiz’s representatives. Nouveau-riche Newcastle have offered to treble his wages at St James’ Park.

An Everton side who signed Allan from Napoli two years ago also have their sights set on another Stadio San Paolo favourite, with Ruiz available for a bargain £16 million as he enters the final 12 months of his contract (Gonfia La Rete). 

But after another underwhelming display in Napoli’s 3-2 home defeat to Fiorentina – a result which deals an almighty thump to the jaw of their Scudetto ambitions – would Ruiz really be that much of a loss as far as Luciano Spalletti is concerned? 

“Fabian Ruiz has been unbearable for at least four months,” says Cassano. “I never really liked him, but he’s bringing no quality at the moment.”

Strong words indeed. But words that can be backed up by the statistics.

Ruiz has just one goal and one assist in his last 12 Serie A matches and he hasn’t even completed the 90 minutes in the last three.

The former Real Betis playmaker was hauled off before the hour mark as Fiorentina triumphed in the south on Sunday, a devastating defeat that leaves Napoli third in the table as they chase their first Scudetto title since the heady days of Diego Maradona.