Fulham to sign Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios in €50m double deal

Fulham have reached an agreement with Real Madrid to sign young pair Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios in a combined deal worth €50m, according to The Athletic.

The report says Fulham will pay €40m for forward Gonzalo Garcia and €10m for midfielder Cesar Palacios, with Real Madrid retaining a 30% sell-on clause on any future transfer for both players.

Both footballers are set to reunite at Craven Cottage with their former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over at Fulham this summer on a three-year contract.

The moves are designed to help offset the departures of Harry Wilson, who has joined Leeds United, and Raul Jimenez, who has returned to former club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer.

Garcia in demand after Real Madrid breakthrough

Gonzalo Garcia attracted interest from a number of European clubs following his promotion to Real Madrid’s first team and a breakout campaign last season.

The 22-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions, mainly as a substitute, and scored eight goals. His most notable performance came in January, when he hit a hat-trick against Real Betis.

Half of Garcia’s goals arrived under Arbeloa, who stepped up to take charge of Real Madrid’s first team in January, replacing Xabi Alonso.

Garcia also enhanced his reputation on the global stage last summer by finishing as top scorer at the Club World Cup, where he netted four goals.

Palacios steps up after January promotion

Cesar Palacios, who was promoted to Real Madrid’s first team in January, featured seven times for the senior side last season.

Five of those appearances came in La Liga, as the young midfielder began to gain experience at the top level following his step up from the club’s youth ranks.

While less established than Garcia, Palacios is viewed as part of Fulham’s strategy to refresh their squad with emerging talent familiar with Arbeloa’s methods.

Arbeloa era begins at Fulham

Arbeloa signed a three-year deal with Fulham earlier in the summer, succeeding Marco Silva as head coach.

Silva left Craven Cottage to take over at Benfica, where he replaced Jose Mourinho. Mourinho, in turn, had earlier succeeded Arbeloa at Real Madrid, completing a sequence of managerial changes involving all three clubs.

Fulham had already moved to strengthen their squad before the Madrid double deal by signing Jona-Kofi Assare from Bayern Munich, following his season on loan with the London club.

Garcia and Palacios are now expected to form a key part of Arbeloa’s rebuild as Fulham look to compensate for high-profile exits and reshape their attack and midfield ahead of the new campaign.