Will Real Madrid Regret Selling Young Trio to Alvaro Arbeloa?

Real Madrid are not expecting any incoming transfers on Deadline Day, but they are still making some noise before the window shuts—and of course former boss and new Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa is at the center of the action.

The 15-time European champions have reportedly sanctioned a move for Castilla gem Manuel Ángel to Craven Cottage. The Athletic report the 22-year-old midfielder is in London to complete a medical before reuniting with Arbeloa in the Premier League.

Ángel will join fellow Castilla products Gonzalo García and César Palacios at Fulham. The three players opted to follow Arbeloa to west London in the hopes of accelerating their careers after it became obvious they were not in José Mourinho’s plans back in Madrid.

Los Blancos are expected to bank around $4.6 million (€4 million) for Ángel. Combined with the $58 million (€50 million) from selling Gonzalo and Palacios, Real Madrid raked in nearly $63 million (€54 million) just from those three academy exits, adding to an already record-breaking summer of outgoing sales.

It was great business from the club, but will there be long-term implications of letting three emerging young talents leave the Bernabéu?

Real Madrid’s Complex Midfield Predicament

José Mourinho has a puzzle to solve in the middle of the park. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press/Getty Images

At first glance, it seems rather counterproductive for a team in desperate need of midfield solutions to sell two promising, homegrown midfielders. Last season, Palacios made seven first-team appearances and 32 for Castilla, scoring 15 goals along the way.

Ángel also earned seven first-team cameos in 2025–26, awarded his senior debut by Arbeloa, as was Palacios. The two both logged promising minutes and came highly touted, so much so that Palacios has already started Fulham’s first two Premier League matches of the season.

There is no doubt either player—or both—could have one day became a mainstay in Real Madrid’s midfield, much like fellow Castilla graduate Federico Valverde. But that jump was never going to happen this season, even after the team failed to sign Rodri.

Manuel Ángel, César Palacios — Manuel Ángel (center left) and César Palacios (center right) would have struggled to break into the first team. | Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Mourinho already has Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler at his disposal. Plus, there’s Castilla gem Thiago Pitarch, whose first-team breakthrough last season earned him a place in Mourinho’s squad.

Realistically, there was no room for Ángel and Palacios at the Bernabéu. Mourinho was never going to use either player with any sort of regularity, and that fact became painfully obvious when the team signed 19-year-old midfielder Sergio Martínez from Racing Santander to join the Castilla ranks.

It makes complete sense Real Madrid instead cashed in on the two transfers and let the academy players reunite with Arbeloa. No matter what issues come about in Mourinho’s midfield, Ángel and Palacios were never going to be the answers.

Gonzalo Might Just Be the One Who Got Away

It would’ve been an uphill battle for Gonzalo García at Real Madrid. | Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Unlike Ángel and Palacios, Gonzalo had a strong place in Real Madrid’s squad. The striker already showed his skill in a white shirt when he scored four goals at the Club World Cup and then eight more last season despite logging wildly inconsistent minutes.

Gonzalo even did enough to ship Endrick out on loan to Lyon, fully commanding the role as Kylian Mbappé’s backup. Yet the Brazilian’s return this summer pushed Gonzalo out the door and right into the arms of Arbeloa.

It came as no surprise to Real Madrid fans that the striker scored on his Fulham debut against Chelsea and then bagged another goal in the team’s 3–0 Carabao Cup win over Wimbledon. Gonzalo is a pure No. 9 with great positioning, clinical finishing and instincts you simply cannot teach.

It’s highly plausible there comes a time in the next few years that the 15-time European champions regret letting the young Spaniard go, especially if he continues to explode in England. But the fee Fulham was willing to pay for his signature was too good to pass up considering he likely would have spent more time on the bench than on the pitch at the Bernabéu.

Los Blancos quickly signed Gonzalo’s replacement in Carlos Espí, who scored a last-gasp winner in his debut against Espanyol. Mourinho also has Endrick at his disposal once the Brazilian recovers from a muscle injury.

Real Madrid have plenty of depth up top even without Gonzalo still in the dressing room. But in a few years’ time, the club could have another Achraf Hakimi situation on its hands.

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