Arbeloa finally got his man on the final day of the transfer window, with Fulham signing the 22-year-old midfielder, who was captain and one of his most trusted players during his time coaching within Real Madrid's youth setup.

Arbeloa had initially targeted Thiago Pitarch, who featured regularly during the half-season he spent in charge of Madrid’s first team at the Bernabeu. That move, however, was blocked after Jose Mourinho, now in charge of the senior team, ruled it out. 

Attention then returned to Angel and an agreement was reached. The deal is reportedly worth about €4 million (£3.4m) for 70% of the midfielder’s registration rights.

Angel, who made four appearances in La Liga last season, had fallen out of favour and was subsequently sidelined at Castilla. With Arbeloa now offering him a route out, the midfielder has been handed a fresh opportunity in England by a coach who knows him better than most.