Alvaro Arbeloa, who recently took over as Fulham manager after leaving Real Madrid, is reportedly looking to reunite with several players he worked with during his time in the club’s academy. AS reports that his latest request to Fulham’s hierarchy is to investigate a move for Palacios, whose future appears set to be away from Madrid for the 2026-27 season.
The Castilla midfielder is currently training with José Mourinho’s first team during preseason, but Real Madrid are expected to find him a new
destination before the transfer window closes.
Palacios had previously reached a verbal agreement with Como toward the end of May, with all parties believing the move was close to completion. However, AS reports that the transfer ultimately fell through before any contracts were signed. Since then, clubs including Porto and Osasuna have also shown interest, although neither move has advanced significantly.
For now, the midfielder continues evaluating his options alongside Real Madrid as both sides work toward a decision on the next step in his development.
According to AS, Palacios is not the only Madrid player on Arbeloa’s wishlist. The report states that Fulham have also explored the possibility of signing Gonzalo, with a structure similar to previous deals involving La Fábrica graduates in which Real Madrid would retain 50 percent of the player’s rights.
Franco Mastantuono has also reportedly been discussed, although AS says Real Madrid’s stance is clear: the Argentine wonderkid would only be allowed to leave on loan after the club invested €63.2 million to bring him to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Arbeloa spent five years coaching within Real Madrid’s academy before making the move to Fulham, and AS suggests his familiarity with the club’s young talent is shaping his recruitment plans ahead of his first season managing in the Premier League.
