Fulham have agreed a double deal for Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios. Standard Sport understands that Fulham will pay a total fee of around £42.8million. Garcia will cost in the region of £34.3m, while Palacios will cost around £8.5m. Real Madrid will retain a 30 per cent sell-on clause for both players.
Arbeloa's role and player backgrounds
Alvaro Arbeloa worked extensively with Garcia and Palacios while manager of Real Madrid Castilla, and he was keen to raid his former club to bring the pair to Craven Cottage. Arbeloa was named interim manager of Real Madrid’s first team in January 2026 following the departure of Xabi Alonso. During that time, he handed Garcia a number of first-team opportunities, leading to Garcia earning his first senior Spain cap in a 1-1 draw with Iraq in April 2026.
Fulham's squad needs and potential moves
Fulham have been in the market for another striker to provide competition for Rodrigo Muniz, and Arbeloa identified Garcia as one of his top targets. Real Madrid had initially told Fulham they did not intend to sell Garcia, but that stance softened this week, allowing Fulham to re-enter negotiations. Palacios will provide competition in central midfield, with Sasa Lukic potentially on the move to Ipswich Town. Standard Sport understands that Ipswich have Lukic high on their list of potential midfield targets, though they have yet to enter club-to-club talks with Fulham.
