Read our 2026/27 season preview for Fulham as the Cottagers embark on a new chapter with Alvaro Arbeloa at the helm.
Marco Silva brought the curtain down on an excellent five-year spell in charge of Fulham by leaving for Benfica at the end of his contract, and chairman Shahid Khan has turned to former Real Madrid interim Arbeloa to lead the west London club into an excting era.
Silva bemoaned a lack of investment during the latter stages of his tenure and the scent of stagnation filled the air at Craven Cottage, but Fulham are willing to open the chequebook to support Arbeloa - with most of their expenditure aimed at Real Madrid's academy.
Key question
Will Alvaro Arbeloa successfully fill Marco Silva's big shoes?
Several new head coaches in the Premier League face the daunting task of succeeding a hugely popular figure at their respective clubs, and while Silva's tenure at Craven Cottage wasn't exactly groundbreaking, the Portuguese tactician maximised his squad's potential.
Since orchestrarting Fulham's promotion back to the Premier League in 2022, Silva led the Cottagers to finishes of 10th, 13th, 11th and 11th. The 2024/25 campaign saw Fulham achieve their highest points total in the top-flight, although the competitiveness in the division meant it failed to translate to a top half finish, and the previous season witnessed the west London club in the mix for a European berth, only for a 1-1 draw against already relegated Wolves to prove costly - had Fulham won that, they'd have finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League.
So while Silva's exit was tinged with a hint of disappointment, the former Hull City, Watford and Everton boss had perfomed admirably across his five-year stay in SW6, and Arbeloa must build on those foundations.
A coaching resume which reads Real Madrid Castilla and Real Madrid is impressive, but Arbeloa still has plenty to prove in a managerial career still in its infancy. He will want his team to play a possession-based game whilst demonstrating high intensity off the ball, and he will need his methods to translate quickly.
There were doubts within the Real Madrid hierarchy concerning Arbeloa's role as interim head coach at the Santiago Bernabeu, and while his stint in charge of Los Blancos wasn't an unmitigated disaster, the former Liverpool defender faced scrutiny for his tactical approach and rumoured disharmony in the squad - although let's face it, even Jose Mourinho has his work cut out trying to get all of his superstars singing from the same hymn sheet.
Thankfully for Arbeloa, managing Fulham should be easier than navigating the excruciating pressures of leading Real Madrid. At the Cottage, the Spaniard has the opportunity to rubberstamp his own philosophy, and he's got an exciting core of players which he can mould and develop without facing significant scrutiny.
Key transfer
Gonzalo Garcia
Arbeloa's utilised his Real Madrid ties in the transfer market to land two prodigious players from the Castilla in striker Gonzalo Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios.
Of the pair, it's the arrival of Garcia that generates great intrigue - not least because of the €40 million outlay required to sign him.
Fulham are noticeably scarce in the goal department. Raul Jimenez's influence was waning prior to his decision to join Wolves upon the expiration of his contract. Rodrigo Muniz, despite the promise shown in his first season, has been blighted by persistent injury setbacks. Harry Wilson top-scored for the Cottagers with 10 goals in the Premier League last season and he's since departed to Leeds United.
The loss of Jimenez, Wilson and Chukwueze accounts for 22 of Fulham's 47 league goals last season - and Garcia will be tasked with replacing a significant portion of those goals.
A formidable finisher with surprisingly good aerial ability for a player no taller than 6ft, Garcia fell victim to the immense competition at Real Madrid as minutes became increasingly sporadic, but the 22-year-old suitably impressed when given an opportunity.
He scored 25 goals for the Castilla in 2024/25, earned the recognition of Xabi Alonso who took him to the Club World Cup and then capitalised on Kylian Mbappe's illness to finish the tournament as joint-top scorer. Despite just nine starts in La Liga, he scored six goals, including a superb hat-trick against Real Betis.
Garcia's transition into the Premier League will be fascinating, but he's got all of the attributes to succeed if given the tools.
Fulham have not had a player score 15+ goals in the Premier League since Dimitar Berbatov in 2012/13 - how the Craven Cottage faithful would love to see a player emulate the delightful Bulgarian.
Breakout star
Oscar Bobb
Michael Olise, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer have all been sold by Manchester City after coming through their academy; it’s not a sign that you’re not up to the level, and Oscar Bobb can provide further proof of that this season.
The 23-year-old Norway international made the switch from the Etihad to Craven Cottage for £27m in January and it’s fair to say that he had a rather lean time of it after the move.
Playing just 571 minutes under Marco Silva, Bobb’s path to the starting XI has been made more straightforward following the departure of Harry Wilson who took up the lion’s share of minutes off the right.
In limited top-level exposure, Bobb has shown that he is an extremely exciting prospect; able to drift inside off the right, receive the ball on the half turn and utilise his potent acceleration to scamper away from his marker.
During his time at City, Bobb excelled in underlying metrics such as progressive carries, shot-creating actions and key passes per 90; easy on the eye too with his elegant style.
Incoming manager Arbeloa is building an extremely exciting team in west London; expect his Norwegian gem to be front and centre for an intriguing campaign at the Cottage.
What is a good season?
Top half finish
Every fan manifests the thrills of heading to Lithuania or Slovakia on a Thursday night, and after missing out on European qualification by two points last season, the Cottagers would love to sneak a Conference League or Europa League berth in the upcoming campaign.
That's probably the maximum Fulham achieve upon assessment of their current squad, and there would be no disgrace if they were to achieve a mid-table finish again in the Premier League - although for aesthetic purposes (and financial reward), 10th is better than 11th.
Every season it feels the clutch of midfield teams grow stronger. Holding the edge over rivals is proving increasingly difficult with the vast sums being spent by other clubs. Fulham have always been competitive, and yet it feels like there's a greater importance to the upcoming transfer windows for the Cottagers as they look to avoid stagnating.
Bernd Leno, Joachim Andersen and Sander Berge ensure Fulham retain a strong spine, while there's a sprinkle of exhilerating talents in the shape of Bobb, Kevin and Garcia who can ignite their campaign.
In May, Sunderland proved the difference between 12th and 7th was back-to-back wins to round off the season. If Arbeloa can unearth a steady consistency to their results, retain their strong home form and pick up a greater number of points on their travels, a top half finish is a foregone conclusion.
Bold prediction
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William Dobbie
Kevin to put up 15+ goals and assists
Kevin has shown – admittedly in flashes – that he is capable of the sublime and he could be about to explode heading into his second season at Craven Cottage.
Fulham coughed up a club-record fee to acquire his services from Shakhtar Donetsk, so expectations will be naturally high coming from a club that has given the Premier League Willian and Fernandinho in the past.
In little under 18 months in the Ukrainian capital, Kevin established himself as one of the best players in the league and was named as Shakhtar’s Player of the Season during the 2024/25 campaign.
Given his pedigree, his transition to the Premier League might have underwhelmed slightly but, for a player of his age, position and profile, there was always going to be a period of adaptation.
At his best, Kevin is a league-leading dribbler – even amongst the talent pool of the Premier League -- and he is excelling in all the areas that typically indicate that there is about to be a significant hike in output.
His ability to get a shot off following his own dribble is a huge weapon, as are his entries into the opposition box and progressive carry numbers. Unfinished? Yes. However, with a season of development under his belt there will be a natural improvement.
A stunning strike against Manchester United was a glimpse into what he can offer, something picked up by the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea who have both reportedly held an interest this summer.
Will they be better than last season?
Jaquob Crooke
No!
Yes, the appointment of Arbeloa is a gamble, but it's an exciting path the Cottagers have chosen to pursue. The Spaniard has a discernible style where he wants to dominate the ball, and while that will no doubt please the purists on the terraces of the Cottage, it doesn't necessarily translate to result.
Fulham were already one of the lowest scorers prior to losing nearly half of their goals over the summer, so there's already significant pressure on Garcia and his attacking counterparts to fill the void.
One of the items on Arbeloa's agenda will be to address the volume of high-quality chances Fulham produce. The Cottagers created 61 big chances in the Premier League last season - only relegated Burnley and Wolves fashioned fewer.
There's also Fulham's away form which requires drastic improvement. Silva's side averaged less than a point per game on the road last term, picking up four wins from 19. The Cottagers were one of the strongest home sides in the division with only the top five teams delivering a better points return, but Fulham's failure to crash the top seven was due to their inferior results on their travels.
Will Arbeloa be able to conjure a solution? It's going to be a demanding test of his tactical credentials.
52 points, which Fulham achieved last season, is a difficult tally to surpass. I think Arbeloa's Whites will fall short of that total, although don't rule them out from going deep in a cup competition as they capitalise on the exerts of the nine Premier League teams competing in Europe.
