Fulham continues its moves inside Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, after placing Tiago Pitarch, the Royal Club's midfielder, among its top targets to bolster the squad at the request of technical director Alvaro Arbeloa, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.
Tiago Binar
Club: Real Madrid
Fulham had already reached an agreement with Real Madrid to sign the duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, in a deal under which the Spanish club receives 50 million euros in exchange for selling 70% of the players' rights, before the English club's interest turned to Pitarch.
According to Spanish reports, negotiations to sign the midfielder are proceeding at a slower pace, as Fulham focuses on bolstering other positions, in addition to its interest in signing Southampton's Shea Charles, whose club is asking around 30 million euros to let him go.
Pitarch's injury to his left knee, which will keep him out for several weeks, has also prompted Fulham to approach the deal calmly and not rush to conclude it.
Nevertheless, the English club is confident it can complete the signing, especially after the player expressed great enthusiasm for the idea of moving and working again under Arbeloa's leadership, alongside joining his former teammates Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios. Reports indicated that the player's agent has already held initial meetings with Fulham officials, amid optimism about convincing the player of the project.
Pitarch's situation at Real Madrid changed after Arbeloa's departure from the youth sector, as he was expected to get an opportunity during the pre-season under Jose Mourinho's leadership, but the club's current plan calls for him to remain with Castilla, with no intention of permanently promoting him to the first team.
Nevertheless, the player delivered standout performances at the end of last season, having appeared in 16 matches across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, and secured a starting spot in several encounters, including the two matches against Manchester City in the Champions League, as well as the game against Bayern Munich, although his future with the first team remains undecided.
Pitarch is one of the standout talents discovered by Arbeloa within Real Madrid's academy, where the coach gave him his debut with the youth team in January 2025, then promoted him to Castilla in September of the same year, before granting him his official first-team debut in February 2026, continuing the relationship between the coach and the player, which may see a new chapter this time in a Fulham shirt.