Real sell another academy graduate. Manuel Ángel heads to Fulham

Manuel Ángel is leaving Real Madrid to join Fulham. According to AS, the English club will pay around €4 million for the 22-year-old midfielder. Madrid are not cutting ties with him completely, however. They will retain part of his rights, allowing them to profit from a future transfer as well.

FULHAM ARE BUILDING A SMALL VALDEBEBAS

Moving to Craven Cottage will mean changing clubs, countries and competitions, but Manuel Ángel will still find plenty of familiar faces. Fulham are managed by Álvaro Arbeloa, who knows the midfielder well from their time together in Real Madrid’s academy.

Gonzalo García and César Palacios are already waiting for him in London. Manuel Ángel is set to become the third Madrid academy graduate recruited by Fulham this summer. The English club have not merely opened a route to Madrid. They are beginning to build a small Valdebebas branch beside Craven Cottage.

Arbeloa coached these players for years in Madrid’s youth system. He knows what they can offer, and they already understand his demands. Fulham are reducing the risk by signing footballers their manager assessed long before he arrived in England.

FOUR MILLION EUROS AND A DOOR LEFT OPEN

AS reports that Manuel Ángel’s transfer is worth approximately €4 million. Sources differ, however, over the precise percentage of his rights retained by Real Madrid. Some claim that Fulham are purchasing 50 per cent, while others put the figure at 70 per cent.

Reports from transfer deadline day also suggest Madrid will retain 50 per cent of any future sale, as well as a buy-back clause and the right to match an offer submitted by another club.

Those details still require confirmation in an official announcement. The structure of the operation is nevertheless familiar. Madrid receive an immediate fee for an academy player while preserving a route back into the conversation if his career takes off in England. A farewell at Real Madrid rarely means that every door has been locked.

MOURINHO KEPT ARBELOA’S FIRST CHOICE

Manuel Ángel was reportedly not the first Real Madrid midfielder Arbeloa wanted to bring to Fulham. His initial target was Thiago Pitarch, but José Mourinho intervened to prevent the youngster from leaving.

The Portuguese coach spoke to Pitarch and convinced him to remain in Madrid. Fulham subsequently turned to Manuel Ángel, another player Arbeloa knows extremely well and rates highly.

Madrid kept the midfielder considered closer to the first-team plans and sold the one facing a more difficult route into the senior squad. Arbeloa did not get the first name on his list, but he still left Valdebebas with another familiar telephone number.

A CAPTAIN WHO NEEDED FIRST-TEAM FOOTBALL

Manuel Ángel joined Real Madrid’s academy in 2018 at the age of 14. He regularly served as captain throughout the youth ranks and became one of Arbeloa’s most important players. In 2023, he helped the club’s youth team complete a domestic treble.

The midfielder also earned his opportunity with the senior side. According to AS, he made seven first-team appearances, including one against Manchester City. Establishing a permanent place remained difficult because of the competition in Madrid’s squad.

At 22, another season with the reserves was no longer going to answer the most important question: whether he could play regularly at the highest level. Fulham have offered him that opportunity. Madrid receive a fee while retaining a degree of control over his future.

The academy graduate is leaving, but Valdebebas will not be deleting his number. If Manuel Ángel succeeds in the Premier League, Madrid will still be standing nearby with an outstretched hand. Not necessarily to take the player back immediately. First, perhaps, to collect their share of the money.

Source: AS