Why West Ham should do all they can to sign Fabian Ruiz

With The Telegraph reporting that West Ham are weighing up a bid for Real Betis midfielder Fabian Ruiz, we run the numbers on a rising star in Spain.

David Moyes was in Betis to witness Barcelona thump Quique Setien’s side 5-0, and if he were to take that game in isolation it’s fair to say he would have found it hard to judge the 21-year-old.

In what was an odd game, still poised at 0-0 just before the hour mark, Fabian was one of the star performers for much of the match, boasting the highest WhoScored.com rating of any player before the floodgates opened (7.83).

However, it was his error that saw Barca double their advantage within five minutes of Ivan Rakitic’s opener, dispossessed in the middle of the pitch in an unforgiving situation.

That said, the youngster still showed the ability that has made him such a key player for his side this season. He had 98 touches in his 88 minutes on the field, mustered two shots - both on target - and completed six dribbles - second only to Lionel Messi.

With a further four interceptions, the Spaniard played his part with and without the ball and his willingness to make himself available even after his mistake was clear. Fabian is happy to show for the ball in tight spots and trust his ability to either beat an opponent or keep the play ticking over.

An average of 69.1 passes per 90 minutes is second for his side and considerably higher than any West Ham player this season, while an accuracy of 87.4% is not to be sniffed at either.

With 2.4 dribbles per 90 at an impressive 75% success rate, Fabian has the agility and balance to glide past opposition players, which is something The Hammers will lack in the absence of Manuel Lanzini.

The Argentine picked up a hamstring injury against Bournemouth and is expected to be out for over a month, joined by Marko Arnautovic. The double blow may well force the club’s hand into adding one if not two or three recruits to their ranks before the end of the window, with Joao Mario also heavily linked.

If, however, the Londoners could pull off a deal for Betis star Fabian, it would be quite a coup for a player attracting admiring glances from some big names in European football.