OPINION
Effortlessly pulling the strings in midfield for Real Betis this season, Fabian Ruiz is one of La Liga’s rising stars.
The 21-year-old has emerged from the Verdiblancos academy in the past couple of seasons to become one of Betis’ most important players, and he has really come into his own this season in particular.
The starlet has turned out 16 times for Betis so far, scoring twice and providing two assists as they sit in 11th in La Liga.
And his performances at Estadio Benito Villamarin have not gone unnoticed, with several top clubs now keeping tabs on Ruiz.
As reported by Spanish digital newspaper El Confidencial, there are five English clubs that have sent scouts to run the rule over Ruiz in recent weeks.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham and Newcastle have all sat up and taken notice of the young pass master, who looks destined for the top.
In addition, Spanish giants Barcelona are also said to be interested in Ruiz, who club chiefs believe could be a bona-fide star in the future.
Most important to note here is the fact that Ruiz has a release clause in his contract set at just £13million.
That is an absolute snip for any top team in today’s market, especially for such a quality young player.
And there is one Premier League team not mentioned where Ruiz would have the best chance of development, and the best chance of success.
Tottenham Hotspur are in need of a long-term replacement for Mousa Dembele, and Ruiz fits the bill perfectly.
Unfortunately for Dembele, it looks like his time at the top is slowly coming to an end, with the 30-year-old being plagued by niggling injuries that looks to be taking their toll.
The Belgian midfielder will come back and look like his old self – never losing the ball, snuffing out every attack, and orchestrating play from deep – but then will look well off the pace the following week.
This was perfectly illustrated by his flawless performance against Everton in a 4-0 win two weeks ago, and his disappointing display against Southampton the weekend after.
If this sad decline continues, Spurs cannot afford to nurse Dembele much longer, and need to begin looking for his successor.
Ruiz is that man.
The 6ft 2.5in pass master is left-footed, like Dembele, and is similar to the Belgian in his dribbling skillset.
Defensively, Ruiz is not afraid of a tackle, and does a good job for Betis of breaking up attacks.
Going forward, Ruiz actually offers more than Dembele, having a rocket of a shot on him, and providing more decisive passes in the final third.
His attacking ability has actually seen Betis deploy him further forward on occasion, in a playmaker role, and that could also help Tottenham by providing a back-up to Christian Eriksen in that position.
And, with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, Ruiz would be playing under one of the best youth coaches in world football at the moment.
All for just £13million. It’s a no-brainer.