Arbeloa Targets Real Madrid's Palacios for Fulham

Alvaro Arbeloa has not been at Fulham long, but his blueprint is already clear: when in doubt, call Madrid.

The former Real Madrid full-back, now in his first Premier League job, is again turning to the academy he knows best, with Cesar Palacios emerging as his latest target for Craven Cottage.

Arbeloa pushes for Palacios

According to reports in Spain, Arbeloa has asked Fulham’s hierarchy to explore a deal for the Real Madrid Castilla attacking midfielder as he starts to shape his squad for the new season.

Palacios has opened pre-season with Real Madrid’s first team, training at Valdebebas and rubbing shoulders with the club’s stars. Yet everyone around the situation recognises the same reality: his immediate future almost certainly lies away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old had, not long ago, appeared to be on the brink of a move to Como. A verbal agreement was reached, the player and his camp believed the transfer was virtually done, and preparations were being made for a step into Italian football. Then the deal simply fell apart before the paperwork ever caught up with the promises.

Since that collapse, interest has not been in short supply. FC Porto and Osasuna have both tracked the midfielder, sounding out the possibility of a move. None of those approaches has yet advanced to the stage of a concrete agreement, leaving the door open for Fulham and Arbeloa.

For now, Palacios is back at Valdebebas, weighing his options alongside Real Madrid, conscious that his next decision will be pivotal for his development.

A familiar face for a new project

This is not a blind punt from Arbeloa. It is a calculated move for a player he knows intimately.

Arbeloa has already coached Palacios with Castilla and worked with him around the first team. It was the Spaniard who handed the youngster his senior debut for Real Madrid in January, a landmark moment that led to seven appearances in total for Los Blancos.

Those minutes offered a glimpse of his potential, but not a roadmap to regular football in Madrid. With competition fierce and the path to the starting XI crowded, the prospect of consistent game time at the Bernabeu looks remote.

Palacios’ contract runs until 2027, which gives Real Madrid control over his future and strengthens their negotiating position. At the same time, it sharpens the sense that a loan or permanent exit is the logical next step if he is to play every week rather than wait on the fringes.

Arbeloa, aware of that dynamic and confident in the player’s ceiling, is pushing Fulham to move.

Madrid pipeline: Gonzalo and Mastantuono watched

Palacios is not the only name on Arbeloa’s Real Madrid-inspired shortlist.

The Fulham head coach has also flagged Gonzalo Garcia and Franco Mastantuono as players to monitor. Both are part of the new wave at Madrid, both fit the profile Arbeloa wants: technically sharp, tactically educated, and young enough to grow with his project in west London.

One obstacle stands in the way. Jose Mourinho, back at Real Madrid and now Arbeloa’s successor, intends to take a close look at these youngsters during pre-season before signing off on any departures. He wants to see them up close, under pressure, in his own sessions.

If Mourinho decides they are ready for a role in his squad, Fulham will have to look elsewhere. If not, the London club could suddenly find themselves at the front of the queue for some of the most coveted young talents in Europe.

For Arbeloa, the calculation is simple: trust what he knows, move quickly, and turn his Madrid connections into Premier League firepower.