Fulham officially announce two arrivals from Madrid

Spanish technician Álvaro Arbeloa, Fulham's manager, is set to welcome two former players from his Madrid squad. According to reports by The Athletic, the London club is finalizing a double transfer with Real Madrid to replace Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez. Gonzalo García and César Palacios, both products of Madrid's academy, are expected to join Craven Cottage for a combined fee estimated at £43 million, with the majority earmarked for the 22-year-old forward. Both recruits come with a 30% sell-on clause for the Spanish club.

Arbeloa, who previously managed several youth teams at Real Madrid before becoming a professional coach, is believed to have played a key role in these signings. The Athletic adds that the duo are likely to be Fulham's first summer reinforcements, following the arrival of Swedish forward Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich, who was on loan to the Cottagers last season. García and Palacios would thus follow Arbeloa, who left Real Madrid to take charge at Fulham. César Palacios, valued at under £10 million according to estimates, has been with the club since 2020 and primarily featured for the reserve side last season. He made seven appearances for the first team in 2025-26, all under Arbeloa’s management. Fulham is looking to bolster its squad following the departures of Raúl Jiménez, who returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Harry Wilson, who left on a free transfer to Leeds United. Defender Issa Diop also left for Ipswich Town in a deal worth an estimated £8.5 million. These transfers come amid a period of stability for the Londoners in the Premier League, despite the departure of Marco Silva, the former manager who left for Benfica in June after succeeding José Mourinho. The Cottagers will kick off their 2026-27 season with a home match against Chelsea, who have also been active in the transfer market this summer as shown by the Blues’ summer signings. Gonzalo García, who scored 13 goals for Real Madrid’s first team, featured in 39 matches across all competitions last season, netting eight times. He made two Champions League starts and nine in La Liga, but his future became clearer after the arrival of José Mourinho, who could not guarantee him a starting spot. The young forward, an international for Spain after his debut in June during a World Cup warm-up match, saw his departure materialize after months of uncertainty. Palacios, meanwhile, has seen limited first-team action, but his profile aligns with Arbeloa’s offensive needs, as the manager favors players he knows well.