Fulham summer signing could be Alvaro Arbeloa’s legacy – even if he gets sacked

Alvaro Arbeloa’s biggest contribution at Fulham could be signing Gonzalo Garcia – he can be a shining light this season.

That’s according to talkSPORT’s Kevin Hatchard, who has tipped the Cottagers’ summer signing from Real Madrid to make his mark in English football regardless of how new boss Arbeloa fares.

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A new era has begun at Craven Cottage after Arbeloa was named as Marco Silva’s successor on a three-year deal.

It marked an immediate return to management for the Spaniard, who was replaced by Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid in June.

The appointment has left some scratching their heads, with Arbeloa’s first-ever senior coaching stint resulting in a rare trophyless season at the Santiago Bernabeu last term – making him an early sack candidate in the Premier League ahead of the season.

Fulham’s saviour?

Looking to prove his doubters wrong, one of Arbeloa’s first moves as Fulham boss was snapping up former player Garcia from Real.

The 22-year-old signed a five-year deal with the Cottagers for a reported fee of £34million after a breakthrough year in the Spanish capital under his old coach.

After finishing as joint-top scorer in last summer’s Club World Cup with four goals, Garcia went on to notch eight times in 39 appearances overall in the 2025/26 season, earning the trust of former youth team coach Arbeloa.

And Hatchard believes the young Spaniard has the potential to shine for Fulham, highlighting his impressive exploits at Real Madrid.

Hatchard told the talkSPORT Daily Podcast: “What I really like about him is the work rate and the competitive instincts.

“Coaches would say, even in pickup games, like kickabouts, he’d be a nightmare because he’d treat them like a Champions League final – he just never wants to lose anything. 

“His rise has been very impressive. And Arbeloa was a central figure in that because he was in charge of the youth sides and he gave Garcia plenty of game time. 

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“Garcia rewarded him by scoring loads of goals, and then it was Xabi Alonso that opened the door for him at the Club World Cup.

“And nobody expected him to play much, certainly nobody expected him to score much, but Kylian Mbappe got gastroenteritis – it worked really well for him. 

“So he really stepped into the void and stepped into the limelight and he was joint top scorer in that Club World Cup by the time it finished.”

Reservations

Hailing Garcia’s versatility, Hatchard conceded the one thing that could hold him back is a potentially difficult season collectively.

With Arbeloa’s lack of managerial experience and success coming under scrutiny, Fulham have been tipped to struggle – even being named as outside relegation candidates – especially after losing a number of key senior figures.

Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez both left as free agents, while Issa Diop moved to newly-promoted Ipswich in an £8.5m deal.

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On Garcia, Hatchard continued: “He’s somebody that isn’t necessarily always a straight No.9. He can play wide. He’s got pace. He can link. He can run in behind. Very smart young footballer. 

“My only concern is that I think Fulham are going to struggle in general.”

While Hatchard had reservations about how Arbeloa will fare in west London, he insisted Garcia can be a positive long-term investment.

He explained: “I think even if Arbeloa is sacked mid-season, as we both suspect might end up being the case, it might end up being the best thing Arbeloa did for the club because they’ve brought in a guy that I think has real potential.

“Service is obviously going to be a thing. So we’ll see how that works out, but he can play in multiple roles. 

“He’s got a real life goal and what I admire is that he came into that Club World Cup playing with some real superstars – didn’t faze him at all.

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He praised Garcia for looking unfazed when lining up alongside Real Madrid’s team of superstars, which includes the likes of Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.

Rounding off, Hatchard said: “He looked as though he played there for ages [at Real Madrid]. 

“So again, there’s going to be that adaptation to the Premier League, the pace and the physicality of that, but there’s a lot to like, and he is desperate to learn, improve, really catch the eye. 

“So I think this is something that Arbeloa has done that is really, really positive. He’s been able to get a guy of that quality into Fulham.”