Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will receive €40 million for 70% of forward’s rights as Fulham move edges closer
Earlier today, COPE in Spain reported that Real Madrid and Fulham had reached a total agreement for the transfer of Gonzalo Garcia.
The report claimed that the 21-year-old striker would move to Craven Cottage in a deal worth a massive €70 million, with the Premier League club buying full rights of the player and Los Blancos retaining a preferential buyback option.
€40 million for 70% rights
However, it has now emerged that the figures that were reported earlier were not entirely accurate.
As per the latest update from MARCA and confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, Fulham are buying only 70% of Gonzalo’s economic rights and will pay Real Madrid a sum of €40 million in exchange.
🚨⚪️⚫️ BREAKING: Gonzalo García to Fulham, here we go! Deal completed with Real Madrid.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2026
◉ €40m fixed fee.
◉ €2m future add-ons.
◉ 30% sell-on clause to Real.
◉ Matching rights for Real Madrid.
Up next: Cesar Palacios to Fulham, being completed shortly. 🔜🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/hVhJiHEVpZ
Negotiations for Gonzalo had been progressing for several days, and the agreement has now been finalized.
Fulham are set to pay €40 million for 70% of the striker’s registration rights, a valuation that closely matches Real Madrid’s internal assessment of around €60 million for the player. There will be an additional €2 million in the form of bonuses.
Arbeloa gets his man
The striker had emerged as Fulham coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s top priority after impressing the former Real Madrid defender and manager during his development in the academy.
Arbeloa had already shown strong faith in Gonzalo during his previous role at the Santiago Bernabeu and pushed hard to reunite with the striker in London.
Although Jose Mourinho has been pleased with Gonzalo’s performances during pre-season, the player understood that regular first-team opportunities would be difficult to secure.
The imminent arrival of Yan Diomande and the return of Endrick from his loan spell at Lyon have increased competition in attack, while stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz further limit available minutes.
Faced with that competition, Gonzalo decided this was the right moment to pursue a project where he could play consistently.
Real Madrid retain some control
Although Gonzalo is leaving the Bernabeu, neither the player nor Real Madrid wanted to completely sever ties.
As such, the Merengues will retain 30% of his rights and secure preferential options to bring him back in the future, allowing the club to continue monitoring his development while benefiting financially from the transfer.
Fulham were keen to move away from the 50-50 ownership model that Real Madrid has often used with academy graduates.
By acquiring a larger stake, the London club gains greater control over the player while still allowing Real Madrid to maintain a significant interest in his future.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
