Fulham have completed the signings of Gonzalo Garcia and César Palacios from Real Madrid, reuniting the two young Spaniards with their former manager Álvaro Arbeloa at Craven Cottage. Garcia, a 22-year-old striker, has agreed a five-year contract until 2031, with the club holding an option to extend by a further year. Spanish media reported the transfer fee at around €40 million, with Real Madrid retaining a 30 per cent sell-on clause. The forward arrives after his most productive season, scoring eight goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Real Betis in January, and finishing as joint-top scorer at the 2025 Club World Cup.

“I’m very grateful, very happy to be here,” Garcia told Fulham’s official channels. “I have to thank the board and Arbeloa for the trust they’ve put in me, and I’m very, very excited to start.” Palacios, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder, has also signed until 2031 with a similar extension option. He broke into Real Madrid’s first team under Arbeloa last season, making five senior appearances from the bench, and scored 14 goals for the club’s Castilla side in the third tier. “I think it’s the perfect step in my career,” Palacios said. “The club is putting a lot of trust in me, and I’m going to show it on the pitch.”

The moves mark a swift reunion with Arbeloa, who took charge of Fulham this summer after Marco Silva’s departure at the end of June. Arbeloa had coached both players in Real Madrid’s youth set-up and then as first-team manager during the 2025-26 campaign, before the Spanish giants appointed José Mourinho to replace him and began an overhaul of a squad that went two consecutive seasons without a major trophy. Fulham’s owner Tony Khan described the pair as “a valuable addition” and said he believed “both will be part of a bright future for the club.”

Garcia could make his first appearance in a Fulham shirt during a pre-season friendly against Stuttgart on 15 August, ahead of a Premier League opener against Chelsea, where he would face another former Real Madrid coach in Xabi Alonso. For now, the double transfer signals Fulham’s intent to build around young talent familiar with their new manager’s methods.