The impossible dream of Fabián Ruiz

A retrospective on how Barcelona repeatedly failed to sign Fabián Ruiz despite multiple attempts from 2017 onwards, while the midfielder thrived at Betis, Napoli and now PSG.

Fabián Ruiz has become one of Europe's finest midfielders, a key player in Spain's World Cup victory and a cornerstone of PSG's Champions League-winning midfield alongside Vitinha and João Neves. Yet Barcelona could have signed him multiple times and chose not to.

In 2017, Barcelona offered Betis €1m to loan Ruiz, but the Seville club rejected it, believing if he left they should go directly to Camp Nou rather than Barcelona's B team. Ruiz responded by having a breakthrough season at Betis, leading to a contract renewal that doubled his release clause from €15m to €30m.

Napoli president De Laurentiis then paid the fee, and under Carlo Ancelotti, Ruiz's performances steadily improved. Barcelona remained interested but Robert Fernández deemed Rakitić superior and opted for André Gomes instead—a signing that failed to adapt. Later attempts under Koeman and Xavi came to nothing due to Barcelona's financial crisis. PSG seized the opportunity in summer 2022, paying €25m (fixed and variables), and Luis Enrique gave Ruiz the platform to become world-class. The midfielder's late runs into the box and powerful left-footed shots from distance make him a complete player—one who would have fitted seamlessly into Barcelona's midfield.