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Report: City send scout to watch Napoli's Fabian Ruiz

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Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz has reportedly popped up on Manchester City's radar.

The reigning Premier League champions will send a scout to watch the Spaniard when Napoli take on RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, according to the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano.

Competition for the 23-year-old's signature could be fierce considering that Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keeping an eye on Ruiz, Romano adds.

Ruiz was named the player of the tournament at last summer's European Under-21 Championship. He's flourished at Napoli since his €30-million (£25.5 million) transfer from Real Betis in 2018.

The price tag for Ruiz is expected to rise significantly, as Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis indicated he will only consider offers in the region of €200 million.

"I paid €30m for Fabian and he’s a fantastic player," De Laurentiis said last week. "If some of the European top clubs were to offer €180m, we can start talking about selling him."

Ruiz, a versatile midfielder who can play centrally or on the left, completed his first season in Serie A with five goals and four assists for a Napoli side that finished second. He has one goal and an assist while featuring in all but one of Napoli's 10 matches in all competitions this season.

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