Reported Newcastle United target Fabian Ruiz made headlines last night as he struck a last-minute winner for Napoli to send them top of Serie A.
The Spain international popped up right at the death against Lazio to make it 2-1, prompting scenes of jubilation in the away section at the Stadio Olimpico.
The result has lifted Napoli to the summit of Serie A, with both the Milan clubs being held to draws.
Ruiz scoring the winner capped off a good performance overall from him.
The 25-year-old completed 76/84 (90%) passes in the game (via Sofascore).
He was heavily involved, having the second-most touches out of everyone (101) who featured (from both sides).
It was Ruiz’s sixth goal of the season so far, and undoubtedly his most important.
He has certainly carved out a reputation for his ability to strike from distance. All 12 of the goals he has scored over the last three seasons have come from outside the box.
Only Lionel Messi (18) and Ruslan Malinovskyi (14) have scored more in that same time period of players from top five leagues.
It was reported at the start of the month that Newcastle had an eye on Ruiz ahead of a potential swoop this summer.
The former Real Betis maestro’s contract is winding down, and expires at the end of next season.
The Mirror reported recently that Ruiz would be wroth around £16 million to potential suitors.
Fabian Ruiz would be an exciting addition for Newcastle
Newcastle’s midfield is in a very good place at the moment.
But the Magpies will undoubtedly look to strengthen it in the first summer window since the takeover.
Newcastle staying in the Premier League will obviously result in better players coming into the club.
And Ruiz is certainly a fantastic player. And also left-footed, which is always nice for balance.
He’ll only have a year left on his contract this summer. That means there’s potential for a real bargain to be had.
But other clubs will be in for him, meaning it could be a challenging one for the new owners.
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