Real Madrid News
Former Napoli star reveals PSG signed Spanish international to ‘harm Real Madrid’
Fabian Ruiz has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Luis Enrique’s PSG era so far, with the Spaniard transforming himself from being a just another midfielder to a vital component in a team that has won two back to back Champions League titles.
Ruiz was also a part of the Spain team that secured the FIFA World Cup this past summer, even starting ahead of Barcelona star Pedri.
However, it wasn’t always like this and according to one of Ruiz’s former teammates, PSG did not even want to sign the Spanish midfielder in the first place.
Ruiz was signed to hurt Real Madrid
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, former Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam revealed the intriguing backstory behind Ruiz’s 2022 move to PSG, one that directly involved Real Madrid.
“Fabian was at Napoli, and Ancelotti wanted to bring him back to Real Madrid. He had one year left on his contract, so he could leave for free.
“Real Madrid couldn’t make any signings at that time because they were trying to sign Mbappe before he renewed with PSG,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“PSG, knowing that Real Madrid wanted Fabian, signed him before Real Madrid could make their move. If we analyse Fabian’s beginnings at PSG, he wasn’t playing because they didn’t want him; they had signed him to undermine Real Madrid,” he added.
Ghoulam added that PSG ultimately stumbled upon a gem, as Ruiz has indeed turned into one of the best midfielders in Europe.
“Then they came across the best midfielder in the world. If Ancelotti wants him at all costs, there’s a reason,” he concluded.
Should Real Madrid go after Ruiz now?
This raises an interesting question, particularly given Real Madrid’s ongoing struggles in midfield this season.
Los Blancos have looked short of creativity and control in the middle of the park, with the Valverde-Tchouameni pairing failing to convince.
Having missed out on Rodri to Barcelona in the summer, the club could yet revisit the market for a midfielder of Ruiz’s profile.
The Spaniard would tick many boxes. He is a proven winner, comfortable dictating tempo, and boasts the big-game pedigree Real Madrid crave, having excelled in back-to-back Champions League triumphs and Spain’s World Cup success.
However, prising him away from PSG would be no easy task. Ruiz is now firmly established as a key figure under Luis Enrique and would command a hefty fee.
There is also the small matter of Real Madrid’s existing options, with Mourinho having repeatedly insisted his squad has the quality to compete.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
