Looks like Fulham is ready to grab four players from Real Madrid as they get close to hiring Alvaro Arbeloa.
Alvaro Arbeloa is set to shake things up at Fulham by bringing in some familiar faces from his old club, Real Madrid, according to reports. The Spanish coach left Real at the end of the 2025/26 season after moving up from the B team to replace Xabi Alonso mid-season. Although his time with the first team was short and without trophies, Arbeloa’s departure became official earlier this month, just as Jose Mourinho returned to Real Madrid for his second stint.
But Arbeloa won’t be out of work for long. He’s about to sign a three-year deal to become Fulham’s new manager, taking over from Marco Silva, who recently left for Benfica. A work permit is holding up the official announcement, but MARCA reports that Arbeloa is already working hard to strengthen Fulham’s squad.
At 43, Arbeloa knows Real Madrid’s youth system inside out and plans to bring over some of their young stars to Craven Cottage. One of the brightest prospects is Thiago Pitarch, who made 16 appearances for the first team last season. The 18-year-old impressed, especially when he was thrown into a tough Champions League clash against Manchester City. Other young players like Cesar Palacios, Manuel Angel, and Jorge Cestero have also had some first-team experience.
While Arbeloa gave these youngsters chances at Real, they might see fewer opportunities now with Mourinho back and the club busy signing new players. MARCA says Arbeloa “holds the key” to bringing many of these academy talents with him to his new club, and he’s eager to include them in his plans.
Fulham sees Arbeloa’s arrival as a chance to change their style and aim higher, hopefully challenging for a spot in European competitions. Last season, they finished 11th, just behind Brentford and Brighton, who both qualified for Europe.
Along with Silva’s departure, Fulham has made some moves in their squad. Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson didn’t renew their contracts—Jimenez has gone back to Wolves, and Leeds looks set to sign Wilson. On the plus side, Fulham made a permanent deal for Jonah Kusi-Asare, a young Swedish talent who was on loan from Bayern Munich last season. Kusi-Asare, who played 10 times in all competitions, has now signed a five-year contract with an option for an extra year.
After finalizing his deal, Kusi-Asare shared his excitement on Fulham’s official website: “I’m very happy to be a permanent Fulham player. From my first week here, it felt great—I truly felt like part of the Fulham family. The team and staff have been amazing, so I’m really happy to stay.”