Alvaro Arbeloa hasn’t even finished unpacking his office at Craven Cottage, and he’s already on the phone to his old employer. The newly appointed Fulham manager is targeting three Real Madrid players to form the backbone of his Premier League project: teenage attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono on loan, plus defenders Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia on permanent deals.
The Real Madrid pipeline
Arbeloa, who signed a three-year contract with Fulham on July 8, is wasting no time putting his stamp on the squad he inherited from Marco Silva, who departed for Benfica. His first order of business is raiding the club where he built his coaching reputation, particularly through youth development.
The headline target is Mastantuono, an 18-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder who arrived at the Bernabeu from River Plate in 2025 for a reported €45 million. Real Madrid’s squad depth has meant limited first-team minutes for the young playmaker, making a loan move increasingly logical for all parties.
Fran Garcia, a left-back who has been part of Real Madrid’s defensive rotation, and Gonzalo Garcia are both being pursued on permanent transfers. Arbeloa’s familiarity with both players from his coaching tenure gives him an edge in recruitment conversations.
