Real Madrid academy midfielder Thiago Pitarch is set to remain at the club after Jose Mourinho stepped in to block a proposed move to Fulham.
According to an update from Alberto Pereiro, relayed by Defensa Central, the Portuguese manager personally told Pitarch not to leave and informed the youngster that he will be an important part of his plans next season.
The development is significant given the growing uncertainty surrounding Pitarch's future.
Fulham, now managed by former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, had been keen to reunite with the midfielder in the Premier League.
Arbeloa knows Pitarch well from their time together at Real Madrid, having handed the youngster his senior debut. His interest in bringing him to Fulham was therefore far from surprising.

#arbeloa #mourinho

After signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios for Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa had set his sights on another young prospect from Real Madrid in the form of Thiago Pitarch.
Indeed, the former Los Blancos boss was keen on reuniting the 18-year-old midfield prospect who was one of the few highlights of his short-lived tenure as the first-team manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Considering that Real Madrid are well-stocked in midfield, the possibility of Thiago Pitarch, currently sidelined with an injury, seemed genuine as well.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Pitarch is no longer expected to join Fulham in the current summer transfer window.
Not going to Fulham. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

#madrid

There is no doubt that this has been a summer transfer window of historical proportions for Real Madrid. The Merengues have undergone almost a generational change with six new players already signed, in addition to the change on the bench, with Jose Mourinho taking over from Alvaro Arbeloa.
Only today, on Thursday, Los Blancos completed the most expensive signing in their history, as they landed the RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande for €125 million fixed and €15 million in add-ons.
Meanwhile, there was another operation in which they were engaged, and which had everyone ***** ociated with the club on edge, i.e., the renewal of Vinicius Junior. Despite having been in negotiations for a renewal for several months now, the two parties had been unable to arrive at an agreement. Now, with only a year left on his contract and with ***** nal very keen to land him, the matter had reached a critical point.
Fortunately, everything has ended well for Real Madrid. As MARCA has reported, the club has officially announced that Vinicius has renewed his contract for six more years, and thus will remain with the Merengue club till 2032.
Yesterday's meeting between the club officials and the Brazilian's entourage has proven to be decisive. In this meeting, Los Blancos increased their offer for the player, despite previously having made it clear that they will not negotiate any further over his renewal.

#vinicius #only #million

After bringing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios to Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa has now identified a third Real Madrid youngster, Thiago Pitarch, as another priority.
The midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season and, now, according to Cadena SER, Fulham are showing concrete interest in the 18-year-old midfield prodigy.
As such, Real Madrid now face a decision: cash in on one of La Fabrica's brightest prospects or continue backing his development at the club.
Pitarch was one of the positives for Real Madrid last season. The academy graduate made his senior bow against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League under Arbeloa.
Interestingly, Benfica were managed that night by Jose Mourinho, who is now Pitarch's head coach at Real Madrid.

#real #gonzalo

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.
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.

#palacios #league

Real Madrid legend and former head coach Jorge Valdano has slammed the club's re-appointment of Jose Mourinho in an interview with one of the leading newspaper's in the Portuguese's homeland, A Bola.
Real Madrid legend and former head coach Jorge Valdano has slammed the club's re-appointment of Jose Mourinho in an interview with one of the leading outlets in the Portuguese's homeland, A Bola.
Succeeding Alvaro Arbeloa, now managing Fulham, Mourinho has taken the reins at the Bernabeu for a second time after previously leading Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013.
Once more, Florentino Perez has hired the two-time Champions League winner to break up FC Barcelona dominance.
Yet Valdano, a highly-respected pundit in Spain who resigned as Sporting Director at Madrid during Mourinho's first tenure, can't get his head around the development.

#mourinho

Fulham have officially completed the signing of Real Madrid academy graduate César Palacios.
The 21-year-old winger leaves the Spanish capital after the two clubs finalized a deal worth approximately €10 million, with Fulham acquiring 70 percent of the player's registration rights. Real Madrid will retain the remaining 30 percent, ensuring they maintain an interest in the youngster's long-term future.
The move reunites Palacios with former Real Madrid Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who made the winger one of his top priorities after taking charge of the Premier League side.
Palacios had attracted interest from multiple clubs during the summer, including Cesc Fàbregas' side, but Arbeloa's desire to bring the young attacker to Fulham ultimately proved decisive.
According to reports from Spain, the Fulham manager urged the club's sporting department to complete the signing, with negotiations accelerating over the past few days before an agreement was reached.

#signing

This is an exciting summer for Real Madrid as the Spanish team is going into the next season with significant changes in the team. While five new players have already been signed and some new signings are also expected in the coming weeks, the most notable change remains that of the head coach, as Jose Mourinho has taken over from Alvaro Arbeloa.
It was a similar feeling last year, when the Merengues had appointed Xabi Alonso to take over from Carlo Ancelotti. However, that experiment did not turn out to be very successful for Los Blancos, as the Spanish tactician lasted only half a season on the bench before he was dismissed in January, after the Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona.
After spending the latter half of the last season without a job, Alonso joined the Premier League side Chelsea this summer, and is going to lead the Blues' next project. As Diario AS has reported, he appeared in an interview with The Athletic, and for the first time commented on his difficult time on the Real Madrid bench.
Personally, the former midfielder revealed that he had overcome the disappointment of his failure at Madrid:
"Fortunately, I don't have many scars in my career… Okay, I do have one scar, but it heals. Now that it has healed, I am very motivated and determined to enjoy this new chapter (at Chelsea) just as I did when I started at Madrid."

#madrid #real #next

Real Madrid were quick to make new additions to their defense and midfield after the end of the last season, as they signed, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, and Bernardo Silva.
For the attack, the only major addition in the early phase of the window was the return of the Brazilian forward Endrick from his loan with Lyon. However, the Merengues have now made another addition to their forward line.
As MARCA has reported, Los Blancos have already completed and announced their fifth signing of the summer, i.e., the striker Carlos Espi, whom they have landed after paying his €25 million release clause to Levante. The player has signed a contract till 2031 with Real Madrid.
This new signing will fill the void that will be left with the departure of Gonzalo Garcia, who is very close to completing a move to the Premier League side Fulham, where he will be playing under the former Merengue coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Los Blancos moved very fast for this latest signing, and only a few hours after reports emerged of their interest in the Spaniard, they had already officially announced his signing. This transfer also disturbs the plans of some Premier League sides, like Hull City and Brighton and Hove Albion, who were also willing to pay his release clause, and the latter already had a deal in place with Levante.

#signed

In a major development, COPE reports that Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Fulham for the transfer of academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia in a deal worth around €70 million.
The La Fabrica forward will join Alvaro Arbeloa's side ahead of the new season, with Los Blancos ensuring they retain significant control over his future by including a preferential buy-back clause in the agreement.
The move brings an end to Gonzalo's rise through La Fabrica, while giving him the opportunity to become a key figure in the Premier League.
Fulham have been pursuing Gonzalo throughout the summer, with Arbeloa playing a central role in convincing both the player and the club.
Having worked with the striker during his time at Real Madrid, the former defender identified Gonzalo as the ideal player to lead Fulham's new project.

#garcia

La Liga giants Real Madrid are closing on an agreement to part with an up-and-coming member of the club's ranks in the middle of the park.
This comes amid the understanding that César Palacios is inching towards a move to the Premier League, with Fulham.
Palacios, for his part, is a 21-year-old midfielder, whose name will likely be familiar to those of a Real Madrid persuasion. The starlet spent much of last season in and around the first-team setup at Valdebebas, culminating in six senior appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
And his efforts, both at academy level and under the bright lights of the Bernabéu, evidently proved enough to impress one of Palacios' former managers.
It was recently confirmed in the Spanish media that Álvaro Arbeloa, after being named new head coach of Fulham, was eyeing a reunion with his compatriot in England.

#palacios #madrid #premier

An insight into the terms of the offer sent the way of Real Madrid star Gonzalo García by Premier League outfit Fulham has this week come to the fore.
This comes amid confirmation that the Londoners are prepared to go 'all out' to land the young striker.
Frontman Gonzalo is for his part a man in demand with a view to the season ahead. Amid stiff competition for places in the attacking ranks at Real Madrid, a host of clubs are understood to be eager to lure the 22-year-old away.
One such suitor come in the form of the aforementioned Fulham. After witnessing Gonzalo's talents first-hand during his time on the Bernabéu bench this past season, new Cottagers head coach Álvaro Arbeloa has earmarked his fellow countryman as a priority summer signing.
Fulham, in turn, have gone as far as to send a contract proposal the way of the player and his entourage. And as alluded to above, on Tuesday, the details of the offer on the table have been revealed.

#gonzalo #amid #season #premier

The final few weeks of the summer transfer window will be busy for Real Madrid, with signings and exits expected. In terms of incomings, Yan Diomande and Rodri are wanted, while there are several first team players that have been earmarked as candidates to leave before the end of next month.
Raul Asencio, Eduardo Camavinga and Franco Mastantuono (loan) are players that Real Madrid want to move on, while they could also be convinced to sell Gonzalo Garcia amid strong interest from Alvaro Arbeloa's Fulham. The La Fabrica graduate would bring in much-needed funds in the event that Diomande and Rodri are signed, although head coach Jose Mourinho would prefer him to remain at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho considers Gonzalo to be a differential option in attack. He's the closest thing that Real Madrid have to a target forward, and if the decision is eventually made for him to stay, it could mean that a different attacking player departs in his place.
That player could be Endrick. Despite reports earlier in the summer that Mourinho wanted to keep the Brazil international in his squad for the 2026-27 season, Marca have reported that Real Madrid are now considering whether to loan him out again.
Real Madrid see Endrick as one of their biggest stars for the future, but right now, his chances of regular playing time look slim – especially if Diomande joins, as expected. There are fears that his development will be stunted if he does not feature prominently, which is why club bosses are considering whether to send him on loan for the second successive transfer window.

#diomande #endrick #transfer

The midfielder Arda Guler was one of the very few Real Madrid players who avoided any meaningful criticism, despite being a regular starter, for the failure of the last season. He remained a key player for both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, and the highest point of his season came in the second leg of the quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich, in which his two goals kick-started the Merengues’ comeback, although they ultimately fell short of achieving its objective.
Guler also participated in the World Cup with Turkiye where he also impressed, but his team was eliminated in the group stage. As a result, he returned to Valdebebas before any other World Cup player, last Monday.
According to Diario AS, the sessions over these five days have been enough for the Turk to impress his new coach, Jose Mourinho, and his staff. He has returned from holidays in excellent physical condition and mentally driven to continue playing an important role at Real Madrid. Some members of the coaching staff can be heard saying: “Güler is flying!”
The midfielder will find increased competition for his starting spot going into the next season. Bernardo Silva has been one of the major bets made by the Merengue club this summer, and he will compete directly with Guler for the attacking midfield spot. Meanwhile, Endrick’s ability to play on the right wing also means more competition in this position for the Turk.
However, he has the advantage of already being in Mourinho’s good books. The Portuguese manager wanted to have him in his team when he joined Turkish side Fenerbahce, and later had a meeting with the player in Istanbul.

#real #World #midfielder

It has already been two weeks since Jose Mourinho returned to Real Madrid, and more than ten days since the start of preseason training at Valdebebas. During this time, the Portuguese coach has had to work without most of his first team players, but he has been able to make a good ***** sment of the players who have been training under him.
In fact, some recent reports suggest that he has also made decisions about the future of some of these players. For instance, he has already let the defender Raul Asencio know that he is not part of his plans, and thus, should start looking for a new club.
Meanwhile, the forward Franco Mastantuono has been another player for whose departure the coach has reportedly given the green light. However, according to a report from MARCA, the Argentine has also been one of the players who has impressed the new coach the most since the start of preseason training, and although the possibility of a departure remains, the youngster knows he can still earn a place in the squad.
Two of Mourinho’s predecessors on the Real Madrid bench, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, both gave several opportunities to Mastantuono to shine and lock down a place in the starting eleven. However, he was unable to take advantage of these opportunities, and lost prominence after a few games under both managers.
For now, Mourinho understands that he will have to restore the player’s confidence and to make him feel comfortable if he is to continue at the Merengue club. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also considering loaning him out, as they did with Endrick last season, to allow him to adapt to European football in a lower-pressure environment, and several clubs from the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga are interested.

#players #training #meanwhile #mastantuono

Fulham are preparing to hijack Leeds United’s pursuit of Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, with the Premier League side readying a formal £24 million bid to beat their domestic rivals to the 22-year-old’s signature. Daniel Farke is at Elland Road.
The West London club have moved aggressively after a protracted transfer impasse between Leeds and Southampton. Leeds manager Daniel Farke had identified Charles as a top midfield priority for his summer rebuild, but the Yorkshire club have hit a significant boardroom wall, with three formal offers rejected as Southampton hold firm for £25 million plus add-ons.
Spotting an opportunity to outmanoeuvre Leeds, new Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has given the green light for the club’s recruitment staff to submit an immediate £24 million opening proposal. Fulham’s pitch offers Charles an instant return to Premier League football, along with a defined tactical role in Arbeloa’s midfield plans.
For Southampton, balancing the books has become essential following their failure to secure Premier League promotion. As a Manchester City academy graduate and an established Northern Ireland international, Charles is one of St Mary’s most valuable financial ****** ets. Speculation around his future intensified this week after he was left out of Southampton’s pre-season opener against Eastleigh, further fuelling expectations of an imminent departure.
With Crystal Palace also monitoring the situation, Fulham are keen to accelerate formal negotiations in the coming days before Leeds can return with an improved fourth offer.

#club

Barcelona's search for an opponent for this year's Joan Gamper Trophy took an unexpected turn after the club decided against inviting Fulham following the appointment of former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan club had been exploring several options for the traditional pre-season fixture, with Fulham viewed as one of the leading candidates.
A meeting with an English club was considered an attractive option given the competitive level of the Premier League and the opportunity to present Hansi Flick's squad against high-quality opposition.
However, Fulham's managerial change prompted Barcelona to reassess their plans, ultimately paving the way for Egyptian giants Al Ahly to be selected as this year's Gamper Trophy opponents.
Barcelona intended to organise a fixture that would generate excitement while providing meaningful preparation before the competitive season begins.

Real Madrid academy graduate Thiago Pitarch continues to enjoy a remarkable rise after establishing himself in the first-team squad, and the young midfielder is now on the verge of adding international silverware to his growing list of achievements.
The 19-year-old is currently representing Spain Under-19 at the UEFA European Championship, where La Roja will face Germany in Saturday's final.
While the immediate focus remains on helping Spain lift the trophy, Pitarch also addressed questions about his long-term international future and reflected on what it has been like sharing a dressing room with some of Real Madrid's biggest stars.
Pitarch has progressed through the Real Madrid academy before making the leap into the first team this season under Alvaro Arbeloa.
His impressive development has also earned him a regular place with Spain's youth national teams, although he remains eligible to represent Morocco through his paternal grandparents.

The Alvaro Arbeloa era has finally begun.
Five weeks after Marco Silva revealed he was leaving Fulham, the club got their man to replace him. And he certainly divides opinion.
Many fans are concerned about Arbeloa's lack of experience; just five months at the helm of Real Madrid doesn't cut it for them.
I see the move as a positive one. Fulham are said to have been convinced by Arbeloa's vision for the 'project', built on creating a strong path from the academy to the first team - in line with his rise through the age ranks at the Bernabeu.
We have a Category A academy, but we did not reap the full benefits of that over the five years o Silva's reign. There are a couple of exceptions - Fabio Carvalho and Josh King - but Silva typically relied more on experience.

By the time Alvaro Arbeloa was promoted from Real Madrid Castilla - sitting fourth in their Primera RFEF group at the time - he had created a football identity of teams with personality and wanting to dominate.
Yet at the first team, he says he couldn't simply be himself.
As he put it: "I had to be the manager I had to be."
So his time as first-team manager at Real Madrid may be no real reference for Fulham.
At Castilla, his side was built around what he calls offensive joy - possession and pressing without the ball were the two pillars.

New Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa is best known in England for his impressive two-year spell at Liverpool as a player before returning to Real Madrid for a seven-year stint and ending his career with a season at West Ham.
He earned 56 caps for Spain and was part of arguably the greatest team in their history, which won two European Championships and the World Cup in consecutive tournaments between 2008 and 2012.
Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa played together for seven consecutive years at club level and even longer with the national team - and now they will face each other in rival dugouts in their Premier League opener at Craven Cottage on Monday, 24 August.
Jose Mourinho signed the pair from Liverpool in the same summer both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joined Real to help them compete with a dominant Barcelona side managed by Pep Guardiola.
Such was the closeness of the two that they went on holiday and spent time together away from the pitch. One well-placed source in Spain said that one replacing the other at the Bernabeu in January was initially awkward.

New Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa is keen on bringing some of his former Real Madrid players to Craven Cottage, including attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran Garcia and forward Gonzalo Garcia.
Mastantuono is available on loan, although it is understood competition for his signature includes at least 12 clubs across Europe, while Fran Garcia is could be sold following Real's signing of left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.
As for Gonzalo Garcia, the La Liga giants are expected to take him on their pre-season tour, although he could become available later in the window.
All three players have great relationships with Arbeloa.
The Spaniard, who has signed a three-year contract at Fulham, led Real for the last 28 games of 2025-26 as they finished second in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich.

A new Premier League manager announced late on Tuesday evening.
An official Fulham statement revealing that Alvaro Arbeloa now has the job.
With the Premier League season kicking off in only six weeks time, Fulham finally appointing their successor to Marco Silva.
The official Fulham statement beginning: ‘The Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa as the new Head Coach of Fulham. The 43-year-old has agreed a three-year deal, tying him to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2029. Following a trophy-laden playing career, Arbeloa’s coaching journey has been forged at arguably the biggest side in the world, starting with Real Madrid’s youth sides before taking charge of the senior team last season.’
Alvaro Arbeloa declaring: “It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London. I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr. Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League. I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week. I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together. Come on Fulham!”

Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed Fulham manager after his departure from Real Madrid at the end of last season.
Arbeloa, 43, succeeds Marco Silva in the Craven Cottage dugout after the Portuguese coach left at the end of his contract, opting to join Benfica rather than pen a new deal.
It acts as a return to the Premier League for the former Spain international, who two years at Liverpool during his playing days before finishing his career at West Ham.
“It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London,” Arbeloa said.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr (Shahid) Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.

Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as Fulham’s new head coach on a three-year contract.
The 43-year-old former Spain full-back, who finished last season in charge of his long-time club Real Madrid, succeeds Marco Silva after the Portuguese coach departed for Benfica at the end of his contract.
He said: “It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr (Shahid) Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.
“I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans.”

Former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed manager of English Premier League side Fulham, the club announced on Wednesday.
The 43-year-old former defender -- a member of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad -- signed a three-year contract.
"The Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa as the new Head Coach of Fulham," Fulham said in a statement.
Arbeloa enjoyed a highly-successful career as a player at Real, winning the Champions League twice, but fared less well in the Bernabeu dug-out when he replaced Xabi Alonso as coach in January this year.
Arbeloa, who knows the Premier League having played for Liverpool, replaces Marco Silva, who stepped down after last season, having guided them to 11th in the table, and is now in charge of Portuguese giants Benfica.

Fulham have confirmed the appointment of Álvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach, with the former Real Madrid manager signing a three-year contract at Craven Cottage.
The 43-year-old replaces Marco Silva, who left the west London club to take charge of Benfica after five years in charge of the Cottagers. Fulham had explored several candidates during their search, including Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna, before turning to the Spaniard.
Arbeloa arrives after a brief spell in charge of Real Madrid's first team. Initially promoted from the club's academy setup on an interim basis following Xabi Alonso's departure, he oversaw the final 28 matches of the season, guiding Los Blancos to a second-place finish in La Liga before their Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals.
The former Liverpool, West Ham and Real Madrid defender is no stranger to English football, having enjoyed successful spells in the Premier League during his playing career. Reports suggest his appointment was backed by strong recommendations from Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and José Mourinho, who recently returned to the Spanish giants.
Speaking to the club's media team, Arbeloa said: "It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London. I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to Mr. Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.

In the coming weeks, Jose Mourinho will take charge of his first pre-season since returning as Real Madrid head coach. The Portuguese made his triumphant return to the Bernabeu 13 years after his first spell in charge came to an end, and he hopes to be the one that turns things around after a dismal couple of years.
The last major trophy won by Real Madrid was the 2023-24 Champions League over two years ago. Since then, they have been comfortably second-best to Barcelona in La Liga, while they were bested by ***** nal and Bayern Munich in Europe, both times at the quarter-final stage. They cannot afford to go another season without success, which is why Florentino Perez has turned to Mourinho.
Many current Real Madrid players have welcomed Mourinho’s return, and now former star Joselu Mato has had his say on Iker Casillas’ Bajo los palos podcast. As per MD, the veteran striker also believes the Portuguese can be the right man at the right time, given that he will command a lot of authority in the dressing room.
“Mourinho is a coach with a lot of character, with ideas that Madrid need because they need a change and he is a coach who has what it takes to put people in their place. Can he be the best option? We won’t know that until the months go by. But Real Madrid need discipline, especially within the dressing room. A club like Real Madrid cannot afford to go two years without winning any ***** le.”
The last 12 months under Xabi Alonso and the Alvaro Arbeloa showed that Real Madrid need a manager that can manage a dressing room – especially one with big egos. Mourinho is very capable of this, but it remains to be seen whether that is enough to get things back on track at the Bernabeu.

Fulham have entered the conversation for Crysencio Summerville, and that makes sense on several levels. He is available, he has Premier League pedigree, and West Ham’s relegation has made this one of the more obvious market situations of the summer. According to The Guardian, Fulham have “joined the race to sign Crysencio Summerville from West Ham” and the winger “is expected to move this summer”.
There is wider interest. Chelsea and Manchester United have both been tracking the 24-year-old, which tells you plenty about the player’s talent ceiling. It tells you less about how realistic those moves are. The more credible reading is in the detail, that “a more realistic outcome could be that the firmest interest in the 24-year-old comes from an ambitious team from outside the elite.” Fulham fit that description well enough. They are established, organised, and in need of attacking reinforcements out wide.
The timing is straightforward. Fulham need to refresh their wing options after losing Harry Wilson, who is “poised to join Leeds on a free transfer”. That alone creates a practical opening. There is also uncertainty around Samuel Chukwueze, with it “unclear if Fulham, who are expected to appoint Álvaro Arbeloa as their new manager, trigger an option to make Samuel Chukwueze’s loan from Milan permanent.” Put those two points together and a winger moves from luxury to requirement.
Summerville offers directness, goals and top-flight experience. He also arrives with a fairly mixed file, which is exactly why this sort of transfer becomes available to clubs like Fulham rather than being wrapped up immediately by the richest sides. He was “one of West Ham’s best players last season” and his form after Christmas was significant, “scoring seven goals in 10 games to lift West Ham’s hopes of avoiding the drop.” That is a serious spell of production in a bad team.
He also had a notable tournament with the Netherlands, “scoring two goals in four games” at the World Cup. Those numbers matter because they reinforce that he can impact games beyond one system or one club environment.

Cesar Palacios is widely regarded as one of Real Madrid's brightest prospects. A regular for Castilla, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder made his first-team debut last season under Alvaro Arbeloa.
However, coming into the summer, the young La Fabrica prospect is looking at an uncertain future, with Arbeloa being replaced by Jose Mourinho as the new manager.
Now, according to AS, Palacios will take part in pre-season with Mourinho's first team, hoping to convince the Portuguese coach that he deserves a place in the senior squad.
A return to Castilla is no longer considered part of the plan, and with Dani Ceballos departing and Real Madrid ruling out Nico Paz's return, the academy graduate believes there is a genuine opportunity to earn a role in the first team.
This comes after the 21-year-old has changed representation at a pivotal moment in his career. The attacking midfielder has left Stellar Group to join Best of You as he prepares for what could be a decisive summer regarding his future.