Liverpool move for Fabian Ruiz after £47m bid for Real Madrid man fails

Liverpool are plotting the big-money signing of Fabian Ruiz after reports in Spain claimed they had seen an approach for Isco rejected by Real Madrid.
The Reds have had the luxury in the past few transfer windows of not needing to dip into the market for first-team additions, with Klopp having assembled a settled squad of players.
Jurgen Klopp’s side stand a huge 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League having won all but one of their 23 Premier League games so far this season and will surely end the season as champions of England for the first time since 1990.
Klopp has no need to address any glaring holes in his team but according to reports in Spain this week, one area the manager has identified as a “weak point” is attacking midfield – with a £47million bid for Isco reported to have been lodged.
Liverpool have not had a recognised playmaker in midfield since the departure of Philippe Coutinho, with full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexnder-Arnold providing the bulk of the team’s creativity.
The source says that Klopp is keen to restore the club’s attacking outlets from midfield – while providing something different to the roles his current midfielders have – and believes Isco is the perfect player to perform that job.
As such, Isco has reportedly been the subject of a €56m (47.3m) bid from, though it’s claimed Madrid want €70m (£59.1m) for the player – a price Liverpool are unwilling to meet.
Furthermore, El Desmarque now claims Liverpool have switched their attention to brilliant Napoli man Fabian Ruiz and are readying a major approach to lure the Spaniard to Anfield.
Ruiz’s form since a move from Real Betis in 2018 has alerted a string of top clubs, with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man City and the Reds all linked with a swoop in recent months.
As per the report, while Ruiz could cost even more than Isco to prise away, Liverpool believe luring him away from Napoli would be far easier than it would Isco from Real, given the recent unrest between Napoli’s players and club chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis.
Some of Napoli’s star names are believed to be unhappy after the squad were fined for refusing to attend a training camp arranged by De Laurentiis.
As such, it’s reported several of their biggest stars are actively seeking routes out of the club with the club still in chaos and well off the pace in the hunt for a Champions League place for next season.
Ruiz can play on the left or through the centre of midfield, but it’s his eye for a pass and creativity which is said to be appeal to Klopp, with the huge approach more likely to be in the summer market rather than this month.
Liverpool have made two signings so far this month with Takumi Minamino arriving from RB Salzburg, before Joe Hardy joined the Under-23s team from Brentford.