Fulham have agreed a double deal for Real Madrid duo Gonzalo García and César Palacios, with Alvaro Arbeloa the key link behind the move to Craven Cottage. The package is being reported at around €50m, and Madrid will keep a 30 per cent stake in both players' rights.
Arbeloa's role in the move
This is a recruitment job built around familiarity as much as fee structure. Arbeloa knows both players well, and Fulham are leaning into that relationship to get two academy talents out of Madrid and into a setup where they should see more regular minutes.
García's case is easy to understand from the numbers. He has played only 277 minutes across his last five Real Madrid appearances, but still scored twice in that spell and posted a 7.0 average rating. That is a decent return in short bursts, not a player getting the run of games he needs.
Palacios has produced too. He finished as the second-highest scorer in Primera RFEF Group 1 with 16 goals and five assists, which is a proper attacking output rather than a speculative punt.
Madrid keep a stake in both players
Real Madrid are not walking away from either deal completely. They will receive €40 million for 70 per cent of García's rights, and they retain 30 per cent of both players' rights, so the club still have a say in any future upside.
That split is the neat part of Madrid's business. They cash in now, but they do not shut the door on a future return or a later sale benefiting them again. García also arrives with a record of 30 goals in 73 appearances for Real Madrid Castilla, while Madrid still produced 77 league goals last season, so this is not a case of a club stripping itself bare.
Arbeloa is the reason Fulham believe this can work. The deal is about trust, minutes and a route forward, and Madrid's sell-on terms show they are happy to keep a foot in the door while the two players move on.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
