Ghoulam: Paris Saint-Germain signed Fabian Ruiz to thwart Real Madrid

Former Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam says Carlo Ancelotti wanted to take Fabian Ruiz back to Real Madrid before Paris Saint-Germain moved to sign the Spain midfielder in 2022.

Ruiz had one year remaining on his Napoli contract at the time, meaning he could have left the Italian club for nothing once his deal expired. Ghoulam believes Real Madrid were interested in bringing him back, but were unable to act immediately because their priority was trying to sign Kylian Mbappe before the forward renewed his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Ghoulam said Paris Saint-Germain became aware of Real Madrid’s plans and completed the deal before the Spanish club could make its move.

“Fabian was at Napoli, and Ancelotti wanted to take him back to Real Madrid,” Ghoulam said.

He suggested that Paris Saint-Germain’s decision to sign Ruiz was not only driven by their assessment of the player, but also by a desire to prevent Real Madrid from securing him.

Ghoulam also offered an explanation for Ruiz’s difficult start in Paris, saying it should not be interpreted as evidence that the French club had doubts about signing him. In his view, the transfer had an additional purpose: stopping the player from joining Real Madrid.

The former Napoli team-mate went on to praise Ruiz’s ability and said Paris Saint-Germain had signed him because of his quality.

“They signed him for this reason and then they found the best midfielder in the world,” Ghoulam said, adding that Ancelotti’s determination to bring Ruiz to Real Madrid showed how highly the midfielder was regarded.