Arsenal could land Xhaka replacement on £16m bargain transfer

There is still a long way to go Arsenal in this Premier League season with focus firmly on the remaining games at hand, although it’s hard not to see the team every week through the lens of the future.

Centre-forward is that position that fills supporters up with excitement. Alexandre Lacazette is doing everything in his power to lead this team into the Champions League football. But while it may be just enough this season, it won’t suffice in the campaigns to come.

His performance against Brentford highlighted some already well known deficiencies, but there is nothing that can be done of it right now. Nor can anything be altered in midfield, although the performances of Granit Xhaka do doubtlessly have the capacity to lift Arsenal into those top four positions.

What may come after that, though, is further cause for excitement. Everyone knows that his position in the midfield can be improved upon, and there are a wealth of interesting market options in the summer to look at as Arsenal prepare to dip into the transfer window.

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Arsenal could sign Fabian Ruiz from Napoli as Granit Xhaka replacement on £16m bargain transfer in summer window

One of those is Fabian Ruiz.

As per the Mirror, Arsenal have run ‘provisional checks’ on the Spaniard with representatives of the club having met with the midfielder’s agent to garner a greater understanding of his demands.

Rejecting the offers of a new contract with Napoli, Ruiz’s current deal expires in 2023 and the Italian side know selling him in the summer is their last chance to garner a decent fee, with the club looking to shift three players to help balance their books.

Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of the 25-year-old, who is said to want a four-year deal, and Napoli’s asking price of £16m plus extras – his price tag was around £50m last summer – is a hugely enticing figure that can only be described as a certified bargain.

Given the importance of balance in Arteta’s side, Ruiz is the left-footed option he would seek with the elite ball progression that Xhaka provides, as well as a superb passing range that flourishes when he has pace of movement in front of him.

Ruiz is someone who can break lines with his vision, either from a more advanced No. 10 slot or deeper as a box-to-box operator, and when on-song his vision and elegant touch of the ball can be joyous to watch. Dynamic runs in front of them, that which Arsenal have, plays into his creative hands.

He adds goal threat too, with his tally of eight assists and goals in 20 Serie A games seeing him easily on course to beat his best season tally with Napoli to date, hence why Arsenal aren’t alone in keeping tabs on the Spain international.

Whether Ruiz has his heart set on a return to La Liga or not isn’t known – the usual suspects are linked – but this an opportunity in the market that Arsenal are right to send some feelers out for. Coming into his prime, his profile both technically and age wise would suit this young team superbly.

With all those non-homegrown slots freed up, he’s more than worth a closer look.