Fulham boss Marco Silva is believed to be ‘considering a big money move to Al-Hilal’ – as the Saudi Pro League continues its aggressive recruitment campaign
- Manager’s £6m release clause could be easily met by PIF-owned party
- Silva steered Fulham to a 10th place finish and just short of their all-time best points tally
- Al-Hilal has already looked into Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Alvaro Morata
According to reports, Fulham head coach Marco Silva is considering becoming a Saudi Pro League manager.
The Portuguese manager enjoyed a successful season with the Cottagers, guiding the west London side to a 10th-place finish and points tally just shy of their all-time best flight.
Silva is contracted to Fulham until June 2024, and his deal comes with a hard-hitting £6m release clause should any club wish to snatch the manager away from Craven Cottage.
Al-Hilal – one of four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund PIF – has been without a manager since the departure of former manager Ramon Diaz, and the team are said to have already started talks with the manager of Roma, Jose Mourinho. .
But, according to the Ias Silva ponders the offer made by the Riyadh side, he is likely to be won over by the comparable prestige of staying in the Premier League.
Al-Hilal keen to lure Fulham boss Marco Silva away from London with lucrative offer
The club have also made offers to sign Bernardo Silva (left) and Ruben Neves (right)
The Saudi Pro League has stepped up its efforts to sign top international talent during the summer transfer window.
It is believed that Wolves’ Ruben Neves will complete a £47m move to Al-Hilal which would make him the most expensive player sold by the club in their history.
The club are also struggling to convince treble-winning Bernardo Silva to leave Manchester City, on a wage offer north of £75million a season, and have previously been linked with the Atletico Madrid striker Álvaro Morata.
Al-Ittihad, another PIF-owned club, have already signed deals with megawatt stars Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, and the league’s envoys aim to attract even more top European talent to the the Gulf.
Chelsea could benefit the most from the recruitment drive, with offers reportedly being prepared for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Saudi suitors for a number of players the Blues are desperate to see on their books could help make up for the £600m the club have spent over the past two transfer windows.
Karim Benzema (left) and N’Golo Kante (right) are two of the stars tempted in the Kingdom
In order to remain active in the transfer market, Chelsea will need to complete a number of player sales over the summer to ensure they comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
Saudi Arabia’s explosive move into the window has drawn criticism from multiple sources, including Gary Neville, who on Tuesday called for an “agile” investigation into the league’s recruiting strategy.
Neville wrote on Instagram: “Any chance the Premier League can look into this Saudi trade like NOW!!!
‘Get a regulator that’s nimble enough to stop these things at the source ASAP! If that doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t! Independence is required as soon as possible. The governance of our game is a mess!’
