Girona very close to signing possible Artem Dovbyk replacement, deal to be official in coming days | OneFootball

Girona continue to build their squad ahead of their debut Champions League campaign next season. Having already finalised a deal for Czech international star Ladislav Krejci, the Catalans are now closing in on their second signing.

Talks have been ongoing for the last couple of weeks over a deal to bring Abel Ruiz back to Catalonia, where he previously played for Barcelona’s youth teams. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at Braga, but before he gets there, he will be joining Girona. Fabrizio Romano has reported that a deal is very close, with official confirmation likely to come next week.

Ruiz could be seen as a possible replacement for Artem Dovbyk, who has attracted strong interest from clubs across Europe. The Ukrainian, who turned 27 on Friday, is currently at Euro 2024, and once his involvement at the tournament comes to an end, there’s likely to be some clarity on his future.

Girona will no doubt be hoping that the pair are playing together, rather than Ruiz succeeding Dovbyk. For now, it’s difficult to say whether either outcome will be the case.