Thursday Fulham Stuff - 06/08/26...

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Arbeloa lauds Fulham's Garcia as 'one of the best strikers in the world'
Fulham completed the signing of Gonzalo Garcia from Real Madrid on Monday, and Alvaro Arbeloa is a big fan of the striker.

Alvaro Arbeloa believes new Fulham signing Gonzalo Garcia is "one of the best strikers in the world" and is delighted to see him join the club.

Garcia has signed a five-year deal with the Cottagers, with the club holding an option for a further 12 months, after completing a £34m (€39.7m) move from Real Madrid.

The 22-year-old played under Arbeloa last season after the Spaniard replaced Xabi Alonso at the helm for Los Blancos.

Garcia scored eight goals and provided three assists across all competitions in 2025-26, though he could not help Madrid win any silverware.

He did, however, enjoy a brilliant Club World Cup campaign last summer, finishing as joint-top scorer in the competition.

Only Angel Di Maria, Serhou Guirassy and Marcos Leonardo matched Garcia's four goals at the competition, while his five direct goal contributions were the joint-most, alongside Michael Olise and Cole Palmer.

Garcia became Arbeloa's first signing at Fulham, and the coach is excited to see his striker in action.

"I hope he can bring goals, but obviously he has pace, he has quality, he's strong, he can run, he can press, so for me, he's one of the best strikers in the world with an amazing future," said the Fulham boss.

"I'm so happy because I know there were so many things that he wanted, and he decided to join us, so I'm so proud and really happy to have him with us."

Fulham begin their Premier League campaign on August 24 against local rivals Chelsea, who are now managed by Alonso.



https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/arbeloa-lauds-fulhams-garcia-as-one-of-the-best-strikers-in-the-world-2026-08-04

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Fulham in 'advanced' talks over deal to sign Leeds United target Shea Charles from Southampton
Fulham appear to be closing in on the capture of a Leeds United target

Fulham are reportedly in advanced negotiations over a deal to sign Leeds United target Shea Charles.

The 22-year-old midfielder was linked with Leeds during the last summer transfer window and talk of interest from Elland Road resurfaced when the 2025/26 campaign ended.

Leeds are believed to have sent offers to Southampton, only to find the Saints demanding more than what was on the table.

Fulham in 'advanced' talks
Fulham now look to have taken in the lead in the race to sign the Northern Ireland international, with Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg having claimed talks are at an advanced stage.

Discussions are said to be centring around a fee in the region of €30m (£25.7m), with personal terms almost agreed.

Posting on X, Plettenberg said: "Fulham are now in advanced negotiations with Southampton over Shea Charles. The clubs are working to resolve the final details before reaching a full agreement.

"Talks are centred around a transfer fee of around €30m. Personal terms with the 22 y/o defensive midfielder are almost agreed."

Shea Charles' path
Charles cut his teeth with Manchester City before moving to Southampton in the summer of 2023. He did not immediately become a key figure for the Saints and it was not until the completion of a season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday that he truly established himself at St Mary's.

The midfielder was among the Championship's most impressive operators last term and appears ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

Leeds may well end up with some regret regarding Charles, but manager Daniel Farke does have a relatively crowded central midfield department.

The midfielder was among the Championship's most impressive operators last term and appears ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

Leeds may well end up with some regret regarding Charles, but manager Daniel Farke does have a relatively crowded central midfield department.



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united-fulham-southampton-shea-charles-8839680

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Gonzalo & César's first day

Go behind-the-scenes as Gonzalo García and César Palacios headed to Craven Cottage for media duties after signing five-year deals with the Club.

From arriving at Motspur Park and completing their medicals, to catching up with Álvaro Arbeloa, their new teammates, and taking part in their media duties – see everything from their first day as Fulham players.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/august/04/gonzalo-garcia-cesar-palacios-first-day/

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Franco Baresi and Fulham: no match made in heaven
The Italian legend, who passed away last week, spent three inauspicious months in SW6 more than two decades ago.

It's less than a fortnight since Kevin Keegan, a global footballing legend with links to Fulham, passed away. Now it's Franco Baresi, the magisterial Italian defender who enjoyed a brief and largely unheralded spell with our club as Director of Football after his two-decade playing career ended. Yet it's a third figure, Bobby Moore, that comes to mind when you think of him.

Both defenders wore number six and captained their country, both won a World Cup (Moore 1966, Baresi was in the Italy squad that won in 1982), and both have been endlessly compared in the press.

Moore at least spent several seasons in Fulham white, while Baresi, appointed by now-disgraced chairman Mohamed Al Fayed to add glamour to the club's profile, lasted just 81 days in the summer of 2002. Curiously, neither Moore nor Baresi proved successful managers: maybe they couldn't cope with coaching lesser talents. Not that it seems Baresi was allowed near the FFC squad.

Given the way Fayed's relationship with then-manager Jean Tigana ended, it's no surprise that the press depicted Baresi as a potential replacement. Yet the fact the Italian's title was downgraded to the role of football adviser and his interaction was solely with the chairman suggests it was quickly felt the relationship wasn't working.

The initial press release claimed that Baresi would "take on a range of duties including scouting, recruitment of players, the Academy and the development of women's football."

Goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar, once over-frank with criticisms of club policy in an interview with this writer (comments that were never published), was typically forthright: "There is no problem any more. Baresi has gone and it is Tigana now. Tigana has won the battle." Tellingly, Edwin was on international duty when he spoke. And some may say he didn't have happy memories of Italian football...

Perhaps Fulham thought Baresi's presence would encourage major talents to sign for the club. But the only significant player who arrived was little-known Argentine striker Facundo Sava who, in a fashion reminiscent of a more recent manager, Tigana used very sparingly. JKA, anyone?

For Fayed, the idea was "for (Baresi) to repeat the role he had at Milan where he scouted worldwide for players." He concluded that, while he'd created a position "to maximise Franco's experience, sometimes experiments don't work." A six-month probation period had barely got half way.

Baresi declared himself "disappointed that the nature of my position with Fulham was not as I envisaged it when I was first approached." This he had earlier described as "advisor to the Chairman and Board of Directors." So logic dictates there must be another problem the wider world never heard about.

Having only represented one club as a player, his move shocked the football world. He told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta that he had been seduced by the loan of an apartment overlooking Hyde Park and confessed he'd packed more English language books than clothes. On his return to Milan, he worked with the under-20 youth team (Primavera) and was later given honorary director status.

The recruitment of Franco Baresi was supposed to help "make Fulham one of the foremost clubs in the world", yet ended up a cliche in the same vein as "Man United of the South". A rich man's folly, EVDS would doubtless agree... Yet the lack of a Fulham reference in many obituaries of this world-class player is as nothing compared to his loss at the age of only 66. Our sympathies go to his club, his colleagues and his family.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/franco-baresi-and-fulham-no-match

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Fulham come in with £25m bid for Southampton's Shea Charles - after pulling off £46m double swoop from Real Madrid
Fulham have made a revised £25million offer for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles.

The Championship side rejected Fulham's first bid for the Northern Ireland international but the Cottagers have improved their proposal with add-ons on top.

Fresh from signing £46million Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, manager Alvaro Arbeloa wants Fulham to strengthen further with the former Manchester City midfielder.

Leeds United walked away from talks for Charles last month after making what they felt were reasonable offers for the 22-year-old.

Southampton have been digging in their heels pushing for £30m but Charles wants to go for the chance to play in the Premier League which he missed out on in May.

Fulham remain in talks to add Thiago Pitarch from Real Madrid too.



https://www.dailymail.com/sport/football/article-16029949/Fulham-come-25m-bid-Southamptons-Shea-Charles.html

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Fulham lead race for Shea Charles as £25m transfer talks progress
Southampton star is attracting plenty of interest

Fulham are advancing in talks over a deal for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles as they look to wrap up their third signing of the summer.

Standard Sport understands that Fulham are working on a deal worth around £25million for the former Manchester City academy graduate.

The 22-year-old has attracted plenty of interest this summer after an impressive season with Southampton, as they reached the Championship play-offs before being kicked out as a result of the Spygate scandal.

Leeds United have had two bids for Charles rejected, but it is now believed Fulham are leading the race for his signature.

Fulham are looking to add to their midfield ranks, with Sasa Lukic into the final year of his contract and attracting interest from newly promoted Ipswich Town.

They completed the signing of 21-year-old midfielder Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid earlier this week for around £8.5m and are reportedly interested in a move for Los Blancos teenager Thiago Pitarch.

Alvaro Arbeloa has also raided his former club to sign striker Gonzalo Garcia for a fee in the region of £34.3m. The 22-year-old has been brought in as a replacement for veteran forward Raul Jimenez.

After securing two of his top targets, Arbeloa has now turned his attention to Charles, who has more than 100 Championship appearances under his belt as he looks to stamp his mark on Fulham's ageing squad.

Southampton start the new season this weekend when they travel to Colchester United in the Carabao Cup first round.

Fulham, meanwhile, continue their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Crystal Palace on Friday.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-fc-transfer-news-shea-charles-b1292409.html

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Southampton's midfield gem is settling for far too little at Fulham
A £30m move to a likely relegation scrap. For a lad who could have been a Saints great, this is the wrong call at the wrong time.

Some transfers make you nod. This one makes you wince.

Florian Plettenberg's update on X has Shea Charles moving toward Fulham. Plenty of the Saints support will feel let down.

Not because he wants a Premier League stage. Because of which door he has chosen to walk through.

He has picked the wrong Premier League door
Fulham are not a bad club. Look at the direction of travel, though, and few would rule out a relegation scrap for them next May.

Charles is 22 and coming off the best season of his career. He posted a 7.16 rating as a holding midfielder last term, logged on FotMob.

That kind of form is the platform to be patient with. Charles could have been a Southampton great here, the heartbeat of a promotion charge and a name sung for a decade.

Instead, impatience has won the argument. Word was he even fancied Leeds, so Fulham feels like a further step down again.

One more year on the South Coast would have done no harm, even in the Championship. The big clubs would still have come calling for a talent like his.

Charles should be stepping proudly out at Anfield or Old Trafford. Not solemnly plodding out at Craven Cottage on the muddy banks of the grubby River Thames.

Cash the Saints can put straight back to work
Here is the flip side for Southampton. At this point, £30m is a fair price, so cashing in makes plenty of sense.

Saints Marching reckoned the board were right to make three suitors sweat on that fee. Holding firm has done its job.

Spend it well, and nobody will mourn for long. A ready-made replacement is already in the frame.

Justin Devenny is the obvious fit, a Northern Ireland teammate with Premier League miles in the legs. Saints Marching's roundup had Boro eyeing Devenny too, so the Saints cannot dawdle.

Land him and a stronger squad awaits. That is how you turn one man's itchy feet into a summer win.

So here is the verdict. Charles is a fine player who has settled for far too little, far too soon.

Southampton, oddly enough, might just end up being the ones smiling.



https://saintsmarching.com/southampton-s-midfield-gem-is-settling-for-far-too-little-at-fulham

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Fulham look on course to sign Southampton midfielder Charles
Fulham appear to be closing on a deal to sign midfielder Shea Charles from Southampton.

Leeds are among a number of other clubs to have chased the 22-year-old, who is widely expected to leave Southampton before the transfer window closes.

And it looks as though Charles could be on his way to Craven Cottage, with Fulham in advanced talks with the Saints and seemingly close to an agreement.

New Whites boss Alvaro Arbeloa is keen to bolster the club's midfield options and the arrival of the highly-rated Charles would be a significant capture.

He has impressed hugely since being signed from Manchester City in 2023.

Charles spent most of the season before last on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, and last term the Northern Ireland international was a key player for Southampton, who reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and missed out on promotion back to the Premier League when they were kicked out of the play-offs because of the Spygate scandal.

Fulham are looking to tie up a deal to sign him after completing the signings of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid.

Charles' arrival could coincide with the departure of Sasa Lukic, who is wanted by Ipswich.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-look-on-course-to-sign-southampton-midfielder-charles

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Arbeloa on Gonzalo & Palacios

Álvaro Arbeloa gives fulhamfc.com an insight into why he wanted to bring Gonzalo García and César Palacios to the Club.

Gonzalo García

I know Gonzalo very well. I've had many years working with him. This is a very young player with a lot of ambition, with a lot of capacity. He has pace, he has quality, he has everything that I need from a striker, so we are very lucky to have him in the team. I think it's going to be a good season for him, and the fans will enjoy him.

César Palacios

I know him also very well. I think César is the type of player that you buy a ticket to watch. He's like a magician, he has this type of talent. He's a player that is very different, but also a player that works really, really hard. They're both young players, ambitious players, talented players, so two great signings that I think will raise our level, for sure.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/august/05/alvaro-arbeloa-on-gonzalo-garcia-cesar-palacios/

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Preview: Fulham vs Crystal Palace - prediction, team news, lineups
Fulham and Crystal Palace will continue their respective preparations for the new Premier League campaign with a pre-season friendly at Fulham's training ground.

Palace will begin their new Premier League season against Everton on August 22, while Fulham have a West London derby against Chelsea on August 24.

Match preview
Fulham have played three pre-season matches, opening their preparations for the new campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City, before drawing 1-1 with Al-Ahli three days later.

Alvaro Arbeloa's side then beat Farense 2-1 on Saturday, and they have another three friendlies this summer against Palace, Malaga and Stuttgart, before beginning their new Premier League campaign at home to West London rivals Chelsea on August 24.

Fulham have made three first-team signings this summer, boosting their squad with the arrivals of Jonah Kusi-Asare, Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios.

There have also been some notable departures, with Issa Diop, Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez moving on, and there will be more business both in and out before the window closes.

Fulham finished 11th in the Premier League last season, seven points ahead of 15th-placed Palace, but the latter will play in the Europa League in 2026-27 due to their Conference League success.

Like Fulham, Palace have a new manager this summer, with Pierre Sage replacing Oliver Glasner at the helm, and the 47-year-old has arrived with a huge reputation, boasting a record of 27 wins, five draws and eight defeats from his 40 matches in charge of Lens.

The Eagles have played five times in pre-season, recording a 5-1 win over Swindon Town before losing 3-0 to Burnley; a 3-0 defeat to Lens followed, before beating Famalicao 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw.

Palace then beat Al-Ula 3-1 last time out, and they have another two matches against Palace and Freiburg before beginning their 2026-27 Premier League season against Everton on August 22.

Sage's side have made just one first-team signing this summer, bringing in Oscar Mingueza on a free transfer, while Maxence Lacroix has been their biggest departure.

Palace will play in the league phase of next season's Europa League, and it will be fascinating to see how the Eagles perform under the guidance of Sage.

Fulham pre-season form:

LDW

Crystal Palace pre-season form:

WLLWW

Team News
Fulham could hand debuts to Gonzalo Garcia and Palacios in this match following their arrivals from Real Madrid, with the pair potentially coming into the starting side.

There will be plenty of familiar names in the Fulham XI for this match, with Antonee Robinson, Alex Iwobi and Kevin likely to be in the starting side against Palace.

Josh King could also retain his spot in the final third of the field.

No fresh issues have been reported by Fulham ahead of the contest with the Eagles.

Palace again had Eddie Nketiah on the scoresheet in their clash with Al Ula last time out, and the former Arsenal forward could lead the line once more in this contest.

The other two goalscorers from the last match - Jaydee Canvot and Justin Devenney - are expected to feature in the first XI for the Eagles in this contest.

However, Adam Wharton will be a notable absentee for Sage's side, as the central midfielder continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Sessegnon, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Iwobi, Palacios; King, G Garcia, Kevin

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Benitez; Canvot, Richards, Sosa; Cardines, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Devenny, Nketiah, Franca



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/preview/fulham-vs-crystal-palace-prediction-team-news-lineups_602432.html

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Calm down - it's not all doom and gloom
Reasons to be cheerful. Life is good

It's always good advice to not believe everything you read online, because if you have been trawling through 'Fulham Twitter' this summer, you'd think the world was coming to an end.

It has been quite exhausting to see that every action and inaction from the club, since Marco's departure, has been met with a deluge of negativity, worry and nay-saying. Not to mention the so called 'FPL experts', and ignorant Premier League fans, who see a clip of our preseason and have come up with this patronising 'fear for Fulham this season' garbage.

Pipe down and worry about yourselves, because I'm here to tell you, it's not all doom and gloom.

For the five years that Marco was at the helm, there was stability. But with that came sterility, predictability and certainly in this last year, a huge wave of apathy. The time for change was right for all parties. It was time for a less jaded, more front-foot approach. It was time to entertain again.

Frustration grew as it took an age for a new manager to be appointed, and I was guilty as anyone for feeling that way upon seeing rumour after rumour with no substance. You would think with all the flirting Marco did for every potential new job that the club would have fashioned a shortlist well in advance of his departure, and that his replacement would be made rather swiftly.

However, when you take the emotion out of it, look at the deliberate words of Shahid Khan on Marco's departure. He said: "We will soon appoint a new leader in a timely but deliberate manner".

Tony Khan spoke to our own Jack Kelly about the candidates and the interview process, and gave the impression it would take time. And after nearly a month, it was Alvaro Arbeloa who was finally appointed. A possible risk given his minimal experience, but he comes from a pretty impressive footballing background and learned his managerial style from some of the best in history.

And it is about time we go a bit rogue, go a bit risky, and take a punt, because the risk is there of it not working, but there is also a risk of this working incredibly well. And I think that possibility has been totally forgotten by a decent portion of the fanbase.

Although it seemed to take an age to get him through the door, when he eventually came, preseason had not started and it was before our players returned from their summer break.

During the interview process and beyond, he would have analysed the squad, and sold the board on his stylistic vision and how to play who, where. He's not learning the existence of the players' names on day one. He had his ideas, but he could only implement them once the players arrived. Could he have come in earlier? Yes of course, but there would have only been so much he could have done, but one of those things could have been his thoughts on incomings and outgoings.

The lack of transfer rumours was frustrating among the fanbase, and certainly was how I felt, and this grew as you see other teams seemingly doing decent, thoughtful transfer business whilst we standing around picking our nose. In reality, Arbeloa would have some idea how his vision would look with our current squad, aware of the academy players and perceived issues with the squad, but this would only be made clear once everyone was at Motspur Park. He would be both pleasantly and negatively surprised with what he saw, and feed back to the board on who he needs and doesn't need. This can only happen after seeing everyone in action, and this takes time.

And so preseason begins, and a loss to Norwich. The meltdown was interesting to say the least.

Cries of Fulham being relegated were reverberating through all parts of social media. But let's break it down: not all our players were back, we had barely a week of preseason, coming up against a team near ready for their season. Plus, this was more for Arbeloa to test and check out his team. An absolute non-issue; this was for fitness not for results.

And for context: Palace have lost to Bromley and Lens, Everton could not score against Stoke or Bolton, Leeds lost to Wrexham, as did Manchester United, and Newcastle lost to Bristol City...are we all going down? There are only three spots.

The second preseason game came along quickly and more of Arbeloa's vision was taking shape. High press, high line, fast acting, direct, one-two touch football, decisive and attacking. Exciting interplay and interlinking, with some bright showings from King in particular. Equally as pleasing: integration of the academy players who finally are being taken a bit more seriously. Another chance for Arbeloa to show us what we can expect, with so much time to tweak and perfect his style, and get the players in to make us jump out of our seats to watch this exciting brand of football.

It was clear Arbeloa's assessments led to communication to the board of certain positions he wanted to improve the squad in, and soon followed the rumours; mainly of youngsters from Real Madrid, with the smattering of youthful exuberance in names such as Shea Charles and Charlie Cresswell. A clear sign of the change in transfer strategy that for too long and been too safe and predictable.

The need for an evolution away from Arsenal cast-offs was long overdue, and these names brought modern ideas and excitement, or so you would think. The immediate overreaction of trepidation and wariness of unproven stars swarmed online discussions in impressive numbers. And of course, there should be some caution with any signings we make, but it's about time we took risks, gambled on potential and dipped into markets we've seen other teams feast from in recent years. We've seen the resale value of picking up gems, and its belatedly our time to drink from that well.

Poaching players from your previous teams isn't necessarily a reflection on the board's lack of preparedness, but more about a manager who is well aware of what kind of players he needs and what he wants from them - and the board is backing him. It doesn't feel like too much of gamble when you know what you are buying. And once you accept Arbeloa is our man, you have to back him, give him the tools he needs to succeed and see where it takes us.

Remember Marco brought Iwobi to the club. It's likely Arbeloa saw who the board had scouted, and said, "That's fine, but I know who would work best in this system, I have worked with better: go get Garcia and Palacios".

Two of Madrid's hot-shot Castilla players are now Fulham boys. Sensational! We are finally replacing Mitrovic! How bloody exciting. Add that to the talents of Kevin, King and Bobb to name a few, that is some exciting attacking talent.

The naysayers and doom-and-gloom artists will quickly blurt out their stats from last season without context, and that we will miss Wilson and Raul, who are of course Messiahs number one and two respectively. But the only part of Raul's game we will miss is his penalty taking, and yes we will miss Wilson's moments, absolutely, but let's not forget that he went missing for large portions of matches and seasons, and spent more of this Premier League career with us on the bench rather than starting.

Beyond the two Spaniards, we need to fill other holes in the squad, such as back up RW, ideally two CMs (with Pitarch likely being through the door imminently) and a CB or two depending on departures. Full-backs and the goalkeeper situation are important to acknowledge but seemingly are not priorities at the moment. We need a more mobile and strong defensive aspect to this team if we want to play this attacking style of football.

With rumours swirling for all of these positions to some degree, I am more than confident we will get the right players over the line, that will suit our new style of play and get Arbeloa's Fulham raring to go. If we can do that with players of a similar young age and talent profile, we are in for some spectacle when we watch the lads in black and white this season. Not only black and white, have you had a look at the trefoil laden, 1975 badge wearing beaut of an away shirt? Those red and black checks in that modern style, has to be up there with the best this club has ever released!

Kit aside, the key to success though, is unfortunately as always, the board and their notorious penny-pinching delay tactics. For this new era to kick on, now is not the time to delay. We need more players in, sharpish. It's clear the squad will take time to adapt, as the video this past week shows, Arbeloa is looking to kill his players. With that, not only do we need players in fast, but we as a fanbase need to be patient because we might not see Arbeloa's final vision for some time.

Now of course, this could all age poorly and we could be comparing Arbeloa to Frank De Boer before Christmas, but that's an easy, lazy worry to parrot.

With what we are seeing with the style he is trying to implement, the demand of higher standards he has on his players (if his mic-ed up video is anything to go by), the possible use of academy players and the kinds of players coming in and rumoured to be coming in, this is such exciting time after such a drab 2025-26 season.

No one has any clue what this season holds, but I can't help but feel excited and I hope more of the fanbase can be too, because the unknown doesn't have to just be negative and scary, it could be the best thing that ever happened to this club.

As a famous philosopher once said: ""What's the point of being alive, if you can't dream?"



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/calm-down-its-not-all-doom-and-gloom

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Tom Cairney update
We would like to provide an update on the fitness of Tom Cairney.

Tom underwent a minor surgical procedure to his left knee earlier today.

He will now undergo a rehabilitation programme with the Club's medical and performance staff, and is expected to return to training after the September international break.

We wish Tom all the very best with his recovery and look forward to him being back on the pitch soon.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/august/05/tom-cairney-update/

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Alvaro Arbeloa working to sign third Real Madrid player for Fulham
Earlier this week, Real Madrid finalise the double sale of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios to Premier League side Fulham. Both players have reunited with ex-Los Blancos head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, and they may not be only players to swap the Bernabeu for Craven Cottage this summer.

It's no surprise that Arbeloa has expressed strong interest in several Real Madrid players. He's already landed Gonzalo and Palacios, but he has already eyed up further stars that he could be reunited with at Fulham, with one of them being midfielder Thiago Pitarch.

Fulham have been linked with Pitarch in recent weeks, but that was before the teenager suffered an injury that will sideline him until September. However, this has not deterred Arbeloa, with El Larguero reporting that a move will soon be made by the London club.

Pitarch exit makes sense for Real Madrid
If Real Madrid manage to get a deal done for Rodri, it would be extremely difficult for Pitarch to get any minutes during the 2026-27 season. Thus, it makes sense for an exit to be sought now, although it has been complicated by his injury.

Nevertheless, if it is indeed true that Fulham are prepared to go for Pitarch now, it would make sense for Real Madrid to let him go – as long as a deal is agreed that sees them retain a significant sell-on clause and/or a buy-back option, given that he could very well go to another level in the Premier League. He will be playing under a manager that knows him well, so there is every chance that he does get better and better.

It will be interesting to follow Pitarch's situation over the next few weeks. For now, his focus will be on returning to full fitness as soon as possible, although it's unclear whether he will be at Real Madrid or Fulham when he does make his comeback.



https://siempremadrid.com/alvaro-arbeloa-working-to-sign-third-real-madrid-player-for-fulham/

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Arbeloa Brings Real Madrid Talent to Fulham
Álvaro Arbeloa has begun shaping his Fulham squad by signing Real Madrid academy products Gonzalo García and César Palacios, with another young prospect reportedly on the club's radar.

Álvaro Arbeloa has wasted no time putting his stamp on Fulham, bringing in two players he knows well from Real Madrid's academy as he prepares for his first season in charge of the Premier League club.

The Spanish manager has completed the signings of Gonzalo García and César Palacios, two graduates of La Fábrica whom he coached during his time with Real Madrid's youth teams.

The headline signing is Gonzalo García, a 22-year-old striker who joins Fulham in a deal worth €40 million plus €2 million in add-ons. He has signed a five-year contract and will wear the club's iconic No. 7 shirt. Meanwhile, 21-year-old attacking midfielder César Palacios arrives in a transfer valued at around €10 million.

Real Madrid retained 30% of the players' future transfer rights, along with buy-back and matching rights, ensuring the Spanish giants maintain a stake in both prospects' development.

Reports also suggest Fulham is pursuing Thiago Pitarch, an 18-year-old midfielder who also came through Real Madrid's academy, potentially making him Arbeloa's third signing from his former club.

Arbeloa's competitive debut as Fulham manager is scheduled for August 24, when the Cottagers face Chelsea in a London derby to open their Premier League campaign.




https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/arbeloa-brings-real-madrid-talent-to-fulham-2026-08-05

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Fulham close to signing Shea Charles as talks advance
Fulham are making progress in negotiations to sign Southampton midfielder Shea Charles as Alvaro Arbeloa continues reshaping his squad ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Cottagers have already completed two significant deals this summer, but Arbeloa remains determined to add more youth, energy and Championship experience to a squad that has several senior players approaching the final stages of their contracts.

According to Ben Jacobs via X, Fulham are working on a deal for Charles, with discussions now advancing. The transfer has not yet been completed, but the London club are increasingly well placed to secure the 22-year-old's signature. The proposed deal could be worth around £25 million, with Fulham currently leading Leeds United in the race for the Northern Ireland international.

Fulham move ahead of Leeds in the transfer race
Charles has attracted considerable interest following an impressive campaign with Southampton. The midfielder played an important role as the Saints reached the Championship play-offs, although their season ended in extraordinary circumstances when they were removed from the competition following the Spygate scandal.

Leeds reportedly submitted two offers for Charles, but Southampton rejected both proposals. Fulham have since moved into a stronger position by progressing talks over a package that may satisfy the beleaguered Championship club. Charles came through Manchester City's academy before joining Southampton and has already accumulated more than 100 Championship appearances despite being only 22.

His experience, defensive discipline and ability to operate in several midfield roles have made him an attractive target for Arbeloa, who wants to reduce the average age of Fulham's squad while maintaining proven quality.

Arbeloa continuing his ambitious Fulham rebuild
Fulham's pursuit of Charles comes amid uncertainty surrounding Sasa Lukic. The Serbian midfielder has entered the final year of his contract and is attracting interest from newly promoted Ipswich Town. His possible departure would create an additional need for reinforcements in the middle of the pitch.

Arbeloa has already used his Real Madrid connections to strengthen the squad. Cesar Palacios joined from the Spanish giants for approximately £8.5 million, while striker Gonzalo Garcia arrived in a deal worth around £34.3 million as a long-term replacement for Raul Jimenez.

Fulham have also been linked with another Real Madrid youngster, Thiago Pitarch, as Arbeloa continues targeting players familiar with his tactical demands. Charles would bring a different profile. Unlike the Madrid academy graduates, he already understands the intensity and physicality of English football and should require less adaptation.

Charles would be another intelligent addition to Fulham's increasingly youthful squad. At 22, he already possesses the senior experience of a much older midfielder and has demonstrated that he can handle the demands of a long Championship season.

The reported fee is substantial, but Fulham would be paying for both immediate reliability and long-term development potential. With Leeds having two bids rejected and Lukic's future uncertain, Arbeloa's side appear to have chosen the right moment to accelerate. Unless talks unexpectedly stall, Charles now looks well placed to become Fulham's third signing of the summer.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/08/05/fulham-close-to-signing-shea-charles-as-talks-advance/