Fulham’s Marco Silva receives ‘lucrative offer’ to join Saudi Pro League club
Marco Silva is wanted by Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, who are targeting the Fulham manager after their statement capture of Portuguese compatriot Ruben Neves.
i understands that managerless Al-Hilal have made fresh contact with Silva in recent days as the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) effort to recruit elite talent shows no signs of slowing.
Silva, who also has the offer of a new long-term contract at Craven Cottage, is considering the lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. But sources have indicated the pull of staying in the Premier League may outweigh the riches on offer from the Saudi Pro League.
The former Everton and Watford boss did an excellent job with newly-promoted Fulham, leading them to 10th in the English top flight while playing an attractive brand of football.
His contract runs out in 2024 and the Cottagers want to keep him in west London but talks have yet to produce an agreement.
And that has attracted the interest of Al-Hilal, who are targeting a top tier head coach as part of the new football era in the Gulf era.
Silva is understood to have a £6million release clause in his contract which would be no problem for Al-Hilal to pay.
The move comes at the end of another week that has seen Saudi Arabia shake up the world of football.
It’s understood that a delegation from the Saudi Pro League has been in London this week holding talks with agents and players, which has prompted a fresh flurry of moves and speculation.
The most eye-catching so far has been the attempt by one of the four PIF-owned clubs to sign Manchester City star Bernardo Silva.
The pace of the Saudi push has surprised many in the football world, with the expectation among most recruitment executives that this summer they would mainly target veteran players who were out of contract.
But there has been a concerted effort to try and recruit players in the prime of their career, too, which has made the offers from Saudi Arabia compelling for sporting reasons as well as the obvious financial benefits.
The moves have been understandably controversial given concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Gary Neville also voiced concerns about sporting integrity after it emerged Chelsea could sell as many as six of their unwanted players to Saudi clubs.
But i revealed earlier today that the Premier League had received assurances that PIF are not part of Chelsea’s ownership structure.
