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5 Serie A prospects ready for a breakout 2018-19 season

By John Vaccaro

DUISBURG, GERMANY - JULY 28: Marc Lafont Alban of Florenz saves a penalty during the first semi final match between MSV Duisburg and AC Florenz at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena on July 28, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
DUISBURG, GERMANY - JULY 28: Marc Lafont Alban of Florenz saves a penalty during the first semi final match between MSV Duisburg and AC Florenz at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena on July 28, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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4th August 2018, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland; Pre Season football friendly, International Champions Cup, Liverpool versus Napoli; Fabián Ruiz of Napoli in action against Nathaniel Clyne of Liverpool FC (photo by Peter Fitzpatrick/Action Plus via Getty Images)
4th August 2018, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland; Pre Season football friendly, International Champions Cup, Liverpool versus Napoli; Fabián Ruiz of Napoli in action against Nathaniel Clyne of Liverpool FC (photo by Peter Fitzpatrick/Action Plus via Getty Images) /

3. Fabian Ruiz- Napoli

Napoli’s newest addition to their midfield will be hoping to prove this season that he was worth every Euro of his transfer fee. Fabian Ruiz was signed in July with the hope that he would help reinforce a midfield that was losing Jorginho. If his performance with Real Betis last season is any indication, he should be able to help make sure Jorginho isn’t missed.

Ruiz was a big contributor to the major rise of Real Betis. He contributed 3 goals, 6 assists, and 1 key pass a game while also completing 86.4% last season. his contributions were instrumental in taking Real Betis from a 15th place finish to a 6th place finish in 1 year.

Ruiz should only get better next season. He’s only 22 years old and last season was the first time he saw regular time in La Liga. He showed growth throughout the season and was clearly more comfortable in the second half of the year. After not taking more than 1 shot in a game before the winter break, he consistently took multiple shots in games after the break and even had a game where he took 5. After completing his first full season in La Liga we can expect a more experienced and mature Ruiz to contribute right away at Napoli.

Ruiz’s offensive acumen will fit perfectly at Napoli. Napoli’s success in recent seasons has been built on a base of explosive offense. Adding Ruiz to a midfield that already includes Marko Rog, Marek Hamsik, and Petr Zielinski will give him a perfect opportunity to shine. Those midfield options will be able to create plenty of chances for Arkadiusz Milik (if he can stay healthy), Lorenzo Insigne, and Dries Mertens. With this midfield in place and Ruiz continuing to grow Napoli shouldn’t miss a beat even with the loss of Jorginho and a coaching change.

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