Alvaro Arbeloa walked into Craven Cottage on Wednesday with a three-year contract in his pocket and a shopping list from the Bernabeu. The former Real Madrid boss, 43, succeeds Marco Silva after the Portuguese coach unexpectedly left for Benfica — and Arbeloa has made clear he intends to bring players from his old club with him.
Attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran Garcia and forward Gonzalo Garcia are all targets, according to sources close to the new manager. The Standard reports that Arbeloa is ready to raid his former club after his own departure from Madrid at the end of last season.
“Fulham appoint Alvaro Arbeloa on three-year deal; he plans to raid Real Madrid for players.”
Arbeloa took over as Real Madrid interim in January after Xabi Alonso left, leading the side for 28 games. He finished second in La Liga and reached the Champions League quarter-finals, where Bayern Munich knocked them out. His candidacy was backed by outstanding references from recently re-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and new manager Jose Mourinho, for whom Arbeloa played at the Bernabeu.
"It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London," Arbeloa said. "I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to Mr Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League."
Chairman Shahid Khan said: "Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham. Alvaro also has great interest in our academy set-up and believes in giving young players a chance. I loved hearing that from Alvaro, as well as his intent on playing attacking football."
Arbeloa's arrival follows a turbulent end to Silva's five-year reign. Vice-chairman Tony Khan said last month that Silva had "indicated he wanted to stay" but then "changed his mind," surprising the board. Silva moved to Benfica as Mourinho's replacement despite contract offers from Fulham. Former Tottenham and Brentford boss Thomas Frank had been linked to the job, while ex-Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was deemed too expensive at £8m before factoring in salary and staff costs.
Arbeloa now faces the task of shaping a squad that reached the Premier League under Silva. With three Real Madrid players on his radar and a mandate to promote youth, the Spaniard's first transfer window will be closely watched.