Fulham pursue Real Madrid Castilla captain Manuel Angel as Arbeloa link proves decisive

Fulham are pushing to strengthen their squad with more graduates from the Real Madrid academy and have identified Castilla captain Manuel Angel Moran as a late target in the transfer window.

The London club are taking advantage of the midfielder’s previous relationship with Alvaro Arbeloa, who knows the player well from their time together in Real Madrid’s youth teams. That connection could help Fulham complete a deal during the final hours of the market.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Manuel Angel is now close to moving to the Premier League after Fulham became his preferred destination. His proposed move to Almeria stalled because of the Spanish club’s financial difficulties, prompting the midfielder to reconsider his immediate future in the closing days of the window.

Manuel Angel was one of the key players trusted by Arbeloa while the coach worked with Real Madrid’s youth sides. Arbeloa also gave him the opportunity to make his first-team debut, further strengthening the relationship between the two men.

That familiarity gives Fulham an additional advantage in negotiations. The Castilla captain could soon find himself working under Arbeloa again, but this time in the Premier League and at Craven Cottage.

The pursuit of Manuel Angel is part of a wider recruitment strategy at Fulham, who have increasingly looked towards the Real Madrid academy for young talent. The club have already signed Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios during the current summer transfer window.

Those deals have strengthened the relationship between Fulham and Real Madrid, while also generating close to 50m euros in revenue for the Spanish club. Manuel Angel would represent the latest move linking the London side with one of the most prominent academy systems in European football.

Fulham’s move for Thiago Pitarch blocked

Fulham had also identified Thiago Pitarch as one of their main midfield targets, but that move has been blocked after Jose Mourinho refused to allow the player to leave.

Mourinho is counting on Pitarch as part of his plans at Real Madrid and believes the midfielder can play an important role during the season. Pitarch has already been given the chance to appear for the first team, which has made a departure unavailable at this stage of the transfer window.

That decision has left Manuel Angel as the more realistic option for Fulham as they seek to reinforce their midfield. The player’s stalled move to Almeria, combined with his close connection to Arbeloa, has opened the way for a possible switch to England.

For Manuel Angel, a move to Craven Cottage would offer the chance to continue his development in the Premier League while reuniting him with the coach who played a significant part in his progression through the Real Madrid system. For Fulham, the deal would continue a recruitment pattern built around players developed at the Spanish club’s academy.