Fulham are poised to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager, replacing Marco Silva. The former defender stepped in as interim boss at Real Madrid at the start of 2026.

What happened?

Arbeloa confirmed he would not be staying on after the 2025/26 season as he wanted to pursue options to be a head coach elsewhere.

Fulham have already reached out to Arbeloa's representatives and he's now established as their No.1 choice. The Cottagers are confident of getting their man, with a three-year contract offer on the table.

Why it matters for Fulham

After leading Fulham to promotion in his first season in charge back in 2021/22, Silva steadied the club in the top-flight - with an average league finish of 11th across four campaigns. This will be the benchmark for Arbeloa to reach, as he takes over a team that finished 11th in the Premier League, 33 points behind leaders Arsenal, with 52 points from 38 games, scoring 47 goals and conceding 51.

What comes next?

If Arbeloa does agree terms and starts his Premier League career in West London, his first assignment will be a derby clash with Chelsea - now led by his old boss Xabi Alonso - on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season. Fulham's recent form has been promising, with a 2-game winning run, including a 2-0 win over Newcastle on May 24, 2026, and a record of 2W-2D-1L in their last 5 games. | Category | Stat | | --- | --- | | League standing | 11th | | Points | 52 | | Goals scored | 47 | | Goals conceded | 51 | | Recent form | 2W-2D-1L |