43-year-old Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa takes charge of the West London club after Marco Silva’s exit in June due to his contract expiring.
Fulham have already made major moves in the transfer market on Arbeloa’s side, and Sports News Blitz writer Dylan Grady looks at how the ex-Real Madrid manager can shock a few doubters in the upcoming 2026/27 season.
Small sample size
Arbeloa became Real Madrid manager on January 12, 2026. Previous boss Xabi Alonso had reportedly fallen out with some of the dressing room’s biggest personalities.
Madrid acted quickly and looked closer to home. Arbeloa had managed Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025. Castilla serves as Madrid’s academy team.
The former Liverpool and West Ham right-back had worked in the Castilla set-up since 2020. He first managed the under-14 side.
Arbeloa then moved through Madrid’s youth teams. He took charge of Castilla after Raul left the role on May 28, 2025.
La Castilla takeover
Fulham have been busy during the summer transfer window. Arbeloa’s knowledge of Real Madrid has already influenced some of their business.
The West London club announced the signings of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios on August 3. Both players arrived from Real Madrid.
Arbeloa worked with both players at Castilla. He also worked with them around the Real Madrid first team.
The 22-year-old Garcia reportedly cost £34 million. Fulham see him as an important part of their attack.
Garcia scored four goals in six starts for Los Blancos.
Palacios joined for a reported £8.5 million. He also signed a five-year deal with Fulham.
The 21-year-old midfielder made five appearances for Madrid last season. He impressed with his close control and line-breaking passes.
Squad adaptation
Even with the recent additions of Garcia, Palacios and Charles, Fulham still remain at the top of the list for the highest average-aged squad in the Premier League.
This is due to the likes of Bernd Leno (34), Kenny Tete (30), Timothy Castagne (30) and Tom Cairney (35).
Fulham’s squad also consists of many other older and experienced players, keeping the average age of the squad at 27.8 years old.
Compare that to their West London rivals and the team that they face in the first game week of the Premier League, Chelsea. Theirs is quite young, at 23.3 years old.
Whilst there are positives and negatives for Fulham having the oldest squad in the league, Tony Khan, Fulham’s Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations, has been evident in the last few transfer windows in getting that blend of youth and experience in his club’s squad.
As stated previously, with the recent additions in this transfer window, Fulham also signed last season two wingers aged 22, Kevin and Oscar Bobb, who are both dynamic and tricky wide players who can cause problems for opposition full-backs.
While recently the Cottagers have been fixated on younger players, now it could be said they have a good mixture within their squad.
Can Alvaro Arbeloa make Fulham a serious outfit for this season, or could he be first on the chopping block?
