Faouzi Ghoulam, Fabian Ruiz's former team-mate at Napoli, has lifted the lid on the Spanish midfielder's 2022 move to Paris Saint-Germain, confirming that Real Madrid had wanted to sign him before the French club got their deal over the line.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Ghoulam claimed Carlo Ancelotti wanted to bring Fabian Ruiz back to Real Madrid. The player had just one year left on his Napoli contract at the time, which would have let him leave for free further down the line.
Madrid couldn't move for him, though. According to Ghoulam, they were too focused on trying to land Kylian Mbappe before he renewed at PSG.
The French club caught wind of Real Madrid's interest, he added, and rushed to sign Fabian Ruiz before their Spanish rivals could act. In his view, the deal was as much about spoiling Madrid's plan as anything else.
"Fabian was at Napoli, and Ancelotti wanted to bring him back to Real Madrid," Ghoulam said. The player's tough start in Paris, as he sees it, had nothing to do with the club not wanting him. It came down to the fact that the deal was also about keeping him away from Real Madrid.
Ghoulam finished by praising Fabian's quality. PSG signed him for that reason, he said, and then found themselves with the best midfielder in the world. Ancelotti's determination to sign him, he added, was proof of his technical worth.