Fulham raid Real Madrid for Garcia and Palacios

Fulham have completed a double signing from Real Madrid, announcing the arrivals of striker Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios as new boss Alvaro Arbeloa continues to reshape his squad at Craven Cottage.

Garcia, 22, has signed a five-year deal with a club option for an additional 12 months after completing a £34m (€39.7m) move from Los Blancos. The striker becomes Arbeloa's first signing as Fulham boss and the club's second addition of the summer, following the permanent arrival of Jonah Kusi Asare.

Arbeloa reunion at Craven Cottage

The move reunites Garcia with Arbeloa, who coached the forward at Madrid last season. The striker scored eight goals and provided three assists across all competitions in 2025-26 under Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso.

Garcia also shone on the world stage, finishing as the joint-top scorer at the 2025 Club World Cup with four goals, level with Angel Di Maria, Serhou Guirassy and Marcos Leonardo. His five direct goal contributions at the tournament were matched only by Michael Olise and Cole Palmer.

Speaking to FFCtv after completing the switch, Garcia said: "I'm very grateful, very happy to be here. I have to thank the board and Arbeloa for the trust they've put in me, and I'm very, very excited to start."

Palacios follows Garcia to west London

Garcia was not the only Madrid player to complete a move to Fulham on Monday, with the club also confirming the signing of 21-year-old Cesar Palacios. He has penned a five-year contract, again with a club option for a further 12 months, in a deal reported to be worth £8.5m (€9.9m).

Both players could make their competitive debuts for Fulham on August 24, when the Cottagers face local rivals Chelsea in their Premier League season opener — a baptism of fire for Arbeloa's new-look side.