Real Madrid teenage gem will not join Premier League club, to remain in Mourinho’s squad – Romano | OneFootball

After signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios for Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa had set his sights on another young prospect from Real Madrid in the form of Thiago Pitarch.

Indeed, the former Los Blancos boss was keen on reuniting the 18-year-old midfield prospect who was one of the few highlights of his short-lived tenure as the first-team manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Considering that Real Madrid are well-stocked in midfield, the possibility of Thiago Pitarch, currently sidelined with an injury, seemed genuine as well.

Pitarch set to stay

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Pitarch is no longer expected to join Fulham in the current summer transfer window.

Not going to Fulham. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The Premier League club have recently signed Shea Charles, which all but puts an end to their pursuit of the Real Madrid teenage midfielder.

As such, Pitarch will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and remain a part of Jose Mourinho’s first-team squad for the coming season.

With the club unveiling the new shirt numbers for the 2026/27 season on Monday, Pitarch was shown to be a part of the senior setup, although with a reserve team number, as he will be donning the No. 27 kit.

Plenty of competition for places

Pitarch was one of the few positives for Real Madrid last season, impressing a great deal since making his first-team debut in January under Arbeloa.

The 18-year-old prospect, who also excelled at the U-19 European Championships earlier this summer, even pushed Eduardo Camavinga lower on the pecking order, featuring in important matches against the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Minutes will not be easy to come by. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

However, competition for places in midfield is set to be intense at Real Madrid in the upcoming season.

Mourinho has brought in Bernardo Silva this summer, who is expected to operate in the double pivot, potentially alongside Aurelien Tchouameni or Federico Valverde.

Meanwhile, Camavinga has no intentions of leaving the club, while Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham are also ahead of Thiago in the pecking order when it comes to competition in midfield.

Therefore, getting minutes under Mourinho for the upcoming season will not be easy for the teenager, who is currently recovering from a knee injury he sustained soon after returning for pre-season training.