Fulham set to complete third Real Madrid raid with Manuel Angel deal

Fulham are close to completing the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Manuel Angel after the two clubs reached an agreement for the 22-year-old, with the move driven by manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s desire to reunite with another player from the Spanish club’s academy.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that Fulham had reached a full agreement with Real Madrid for Manuel Angel’s transfer during the summer window.

Real Madrid have accepted the deal on the condition that they retain a percentage of any future sale. The Spanish club will also have the right to match any offer made for the player in the future if they decide they want to bring him back.

Those terms were part of the conditions Real Madrid set before agreeing to Manuel Angel’s departure.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Manuel Angel has already arrived in London to complete the formalities of his move and sign his contract with Fulham. If the transfer is completed, he will become the third player to move from Real Madrid to the Premier League club this summer.

He will follow Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, who have also joined Fulham as part of the new project being led by Arbeloa.

The arrivals underline the Fulham manager’s intention to recruit players whose abilities and development he knows well from his time working with Real Madrid’s younger teams. Arbeloa has continued to look towards the academy known as La Fabrica as he reshapes his squad.

Manuel Angel was not Arbeloa’s first choice to strengthen Fulham’s midfield. Marca reported that Tiago Pitarch had initially been the manager’s main target for the position.

However, Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho remained unwilling to allow Pitarch to leave, effectively closing the door on a move. Arbeloa subsequently turned his attention to Manuel Angel, who had previously been his captain in Real Madrid’s youth sides.

The midfielder endured a difficult summer before the opportunity to move to England emerged. He was left out of the first-team plans during pre-season and was also away from involvement with Castilla.

That situation opened the possibility of a fresh start elsewhere, with Fulham offering Manuel Angel the chance to continue his career in the English top flight under a manager familiar with his qualities.

Subject to the completion of the paperwork and the final stages of the transfer, Manuel Angel will become the latest former Real Madrid academy player to join Arbeloa at Fulham. The agreement includes safeguards for Real Madrid, who will retain a financial interest in the player’s future and the option to match a later bid if they wish to re-sign him.