Arbeloa pushing Fulham to sign highly-rated Real Madrid academy prospect

Arbeloa pushing Fulham to sign highly-rated Real Madrid academy prospect Alvaro Arbeloa is continuing to look toward Real Madrid’s academy after taking charge of Fulham, with Cesar Palacios emerging as the latest youngster the Spanish coach would like to bring to the Premier League. Indeed, according to AS , Arbeloa has asked Fulham’s hierarchy to explore a move for the Castilla attacking midfielder as he begins shaping his squad for the upcoming season. Palacios expected to leave Real Madrid Although Palacios has started pre-season with Real Madrid’s first team, the expectation remains that he will spend next season away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Earlier this summer, the 21-year-old reached a verbal agreement with Como, and both the player and his representatives believed the transfer was close to completion. However, the move ultimately collapsed before contracts were signed. Arbeloa wants Palacios at Fulham. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Since then, clubs including FC Porto and Osasuna have shown interest, but none of those approaches have progressed far enough to secure a deal. For now, Palacios has returned to Valdebebas and is carefully evaluating his options alongside Real Madrid before deciding on the next step in his career. Reunion with Arbeloa? Palacios is a player that Arbeloa knows very well, having managed the youngster with Castilla and the Real Madrid first team. In fact, it was Arbeloa who handed the 21-year-old his senior debut with Los Blancos in January earlier this year, with the attacking midfielder going on to make seven appearances in total. Palacios’ contract expires in 2027. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Given the prospect of regular minutes with the senior team unlikely, an exit seems to be on the cards, even more so considering that his contract expires in 2027. Now, Arbeloa is asking Fulham to make a move for the young Spaniard. Gonzalo and Mastantuono also on the radar Palacios is not the first Real Madrid player Arbeloa has asked Fulham to monitor. Indeed, the former Real Madrid coach has also expressed interest in Gonzalo Garcia and Franco Mastantuono as he looks to add familiar faces to his new squad. However, as things stand, Jose Mourinho, Arbeloa’s replacement at Real Madrid, intends to take a close look at the youngsters in pre-season before deciding on their future.