AR
Abel Ruiz
Centre-Forward / Spain / Girona FC
50 OVR
Profile
Key strength: Link-up play
Target man
Girona FC sit 8th in the table, trapped in a frustrating DLDDL sequence that tells the story of near-misses and squandered promise. At the eye of this storm stands Abel Ruiz, the 25-year-old Spanish centre-forward whose €6 million valuation increasingly feels like a question mark hovering over his six appearances. Five hundred and forty minutes. Zero goals. Zero assists. The statistics are stark for any striker. Yet the narrative runs deeper than the score sheet. Ruiz has been reborn as Girona's target man, sacrificing personal glory for collective structure. His hold-up play and aerial presence knit together an attack featuring creative sparks like Ilyas Chaira and Thomas Lemar, who feast on his knockdowns and deft layoffs. The 55-rated forward won't burn past defenders with his 58 pace, but his link-up excellence keeps Girona competitive even as victories elude them. For now, Ruiz waits—one fortuitous deflection, one thumping header, one moment of release to silence the growing chorus asking whether a striker can truly survive without striking.