English club Fulham is preparing to make an ambitious loan offer to sign Argentine Franco Mastantuono, the young Real Madrid winger, after new coach Álvaro Arbeloa set his sights on reuniting with his former player at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The Argentine site 'El Intransigente' reported that Arbeloa, who recently took over as Fulham manager succeeding Marco Silva, plans to sign Mastantuono quickly before the new Premier League season starts next month.

The 43-year-old Spanish coach, who was sacked as Real Madrid manager after just 5 months, seeks to strengthen his attack by signing one of his trusted stars in a surprise deal.

Fulham received a major morale boost after José Mourinho, the returning Real Madrid coach, told Mastantuono that he could temporarily leave the royal club, indicating that the door is open for a loan deal.

But the London club faces fierce competition from more than 10 other clubs interested in signing the 18-year-old right winger, who is considered one of the most prominent rising talents in Argentine football.

Mastantuono, who was not called up to the Argentine national team for the 2026 World Cup, scored two goals in 18 matches under Arbeloa last season, before the latter was sacked from his position.

The talented young player has not ruled out leaving Real Madrid less than 12 months after joining them from Argentine River Plate in a stunning deal worth £53 million.

Mastantuono is seen as a potential replacement for Harry Wilson, who refused to renew his contract and joined Leeds United, at a time when Fulham saw the departure of several stars, most notably Raúl Jiménez, while Samuel Chukwueze returned to Milan after the end of his loan.

But Mastantuono is not the only Real Madrid star that Arbeloa has his eyes on, as the Spanish coach's name has been linked with a desire to sign young players Thiago Petarh, César Palacios, Manuel Ángel, and Jorge Sestero from the royal club.

Arbeloa previously coached this quartet when he was in charge of Real Madrid's reserve team and first team, which enhances the chances of successful negotiations.