Report: Real Madrid and Barcelona to battle for Euro 2024 winner | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both interested in signing central midfielder Fabian Ruiz, who played a starring role for Spain at Euro 2024, reports in Spain have claimed.

The 28-year-old plays his club football for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, whom he joined in August 2022 after a successful four-year spell in Italy with Napoli.

Alongside Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, Fabian was one of the stars of Spain's successful Euro 2024 campaign, scoring in the group stage against Croatia before netting in the comprehensive 4-1 win over Georgia in the round of 16.

Spanish publication SPORT report that Fabian, who has three years remaining on his PSG contract, is of interest to Real Madrid, despite the abundance of midfield riches already at Carlo Ancelotti's disposal.

The Italian can call upon Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric among others, though the latter is now 39 and is likely to be playing his final season in the Spanish capital. Ancelotti previously worked with Fabian at Napoli.

Fabian could prove to be an intriguing replacement for the 15-time Champions League winners, who already possess one of the strongest squads in world football.

Fabian Ruiz after winning the Ligue 1 title with PSG / Xavier Laine/GettyImages

Madrid already had a forward line boasting the trio of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo prior to the summer window, but have now added Kylian Mbappe and Endrick to their ranks. They are also exceptionally well stocked in defence – Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal among the top performers in their respective positions.

Barcelona are also tipped to hold interest in Fabian, even though they have added to their midfield options with the arrival of Dani Olmo. The Catalan giants remain under severe financial strain – making a possible summer deal for Williams out of the question – but are committed to strengthening their squad in a bid to topple their fierce rivals.

Head coach Hansi Flick is said to be keen on strengthening in that area, with Bayern Munich duo Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka – two players he managed during his time in Bavaria – also thought to be on his shortlist of targets.

Frenkie de Jong could yet leave to make space for a possible arrival, with Fabian seen as an attainable target after PSG splashed the cash on Benfica teenager Joao Neves to reinforce their own options.