Real Madrid News
Fulham end interest in Real Madrid midfield prodigy, eye another La Fabrica talent – report
According to MARCA, Fulham have ended their interest in signing Thiago Pitarch from Real Madrid.
The young La Fabrica midfield prospect was one of the potential signings Alvaro Arbeloa had identified to strengthen his new project in London after already raiding the club for Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios.
Real Madrid unwilling to let Thiago leave
However, Real Madrid’s firm refusal to even negotiate his departure has made the deal impossible.
At Valdebebas, there is a clear belief in the midfielder’s potential. Thiago is currently in the final stages of his recovery after suffering an injury following his return from the European Under-19 Championship, which Spain won in Wales.
That injury has prevented the youngster from joining Jose Mourinho’s first-team group. Rather than considering a departure, however, the Portuguese coach intends to count on him throughout the season.
Initially, Thiago will split his minutes between Castilla, where he remains registered despite being a first-team player in every other respect, and the senior squad.
The aim is to gradually rebuild his fitness after an injury that will have kept him out for almost two months. Real Madrid’s plan is for him to return progressively and be ready when Mourinho needs him.
Arbeloa knows the value of Real Madrid’s academy
From Fulham’s perspective, Arbeloa had already successfully recruited from Real Madrid this summer.
Gonzalo, who has scored in each of his last two matches for the English side, and Cesar Palacios both moved to Craven Cottage in deals that brought €50 million into Real Madrid’s coffers.
Arbeloa knows the talent available in Real Madrid’s academy and has not hesitated to turn to players he already knows as he builds his new project.
Manuel Angel emerges as the alternative
With Thiago now off the table, Fulham have turned their attention elsewhere.
The London club are considering Manuel Angel, another Castilla midfielder whom Arbeloa gave opportunities to towards the end of last season.
As previously reported, Cadiz have entered the race for the midfielder with a €4 million proposal, meaning Fulham would have to match that figure to take the player to England.
The competition for Manuel Angel could therefore add another layer of intrigue to the final days of the transfer window.
According to AS, Jose Mourinho has already settled on his preferred defensive line at Real Madrid only two games into the 2026/27 season.
The combination of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella – three new arrivals and another from last summer, seem to be the manager’s gala backline moving forward this season.
A defence built for the big games
Mourinho started the midweek game against Real Sociedad with three of the aforementioned four players, with Alvaro Carreras getting the nod at left-back, only to be replaced by Cucurella at half-time.
While Mourinho suggested that the substitution was due to Carreras picking up a yellow card in the first half, the change nevertheless offered a glimpse of a back four that could see relatively few changes throughout the season.
Antonio Rudiger could still provide an alternative to Konate or Huijsen before Eder Militao at centre-back.
But these four defenders increasingly look like the unit that will start the most important matches.
Dumfries is accustomed to playing in a five-man defence but has now moved ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold as the undisputed right-back.
With Cucurella occupying the left, Real Madrid can push the defensive line higher and defend, attack and press further up the pitch.
That, in turn, gives the midfielders and forwards the platform to execute the high press Mourinho wants to establish.
The numbers tell the story
The statistics from the match were revealing. According to Opta, Dumfries completed 15 passes in the final third, the fifth-highest total in the game, behind Arda Guler (25), Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde (22 each), and Bernardo Silva (17).
Konate won the most tackles, with two, matching Cucurella’s total. Huijsen completed the most passes, finding a teammate 69 times from 72 attempts, an impressive 95.8% completion rate.
Carreras also made his mark before being substituted, recovering four balls, the same number as Huijsen.
Overall, Real Madrid’s defence recovered 15 balls, with seven of them coming in Real Sociedad’s half. Defensively, they allowed Thibaut Courtois to face only three shots, the same number he faced against Espanyol.
This defensive structure should continue to develop over the coming fixtures before the international break: Malaga, Real Betis, the Champions League opener, Rayo and Elche, followed by the derby against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
There is still plenty of work to do, but the foundations are already visible. A new defence is beginning to take shape at the Bernabeu, and Mourinho hopes it will become a better defence as the season progresses.
