A PREMIER LEAGUE manager is in line to replace Jose Mourinho as Benfica boss.
Reports in Portugal yesterday claimed that the Fulham manager has now reached a “total agreement” with the Portuguese giants.
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Marco Silva is looking set to return to Portugal to manage Benfica Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Jose Mourinho has been heavily linked with a return to mange Real Madrid Credit: EPA
Spanish outlet AS have now backed up those claims, saying: “There’s already a replacement for Mourinho: Marco Silva will be Benfica’s new manager. The deal is completely done, sealed this afternoon. Countdown begins…
Benfica have identified Fulham boss Silva as Mourinho’s successor amid growing expectations the Special One could return to Real Madrid.
Silva, 48, is said to have agreed to take a major pay cut in order to land the Benfica job with his contract in West London ending this summer.
Portuguese outlet A Bola claims Benfica are preparing to hand the former Hull, Watford and Everton boss a contract worth either two or three years.
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Silva, who is from Lisbon, has built a strong reputation in England despite suffering relegation with Hull in the 2016/17 season after replacing Mike Phelan midway through the campaign.
He then had a short spell at Watford before earning a move to Everton, where in 2018/19 he guided the Toffees to eighth place – a finish they have failed to better since.
But Silva’s best work has come at Fulham.
He guided the Cottagers to the Championship title in 2021/22 with 90 points before establishing them as a solid Premier League side.
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It looks as though Marco Silva (right) will be the ready made replacement for Madrid bound Jose Mourinho (left) Credit: Getty
Last season, Fulham recorded their highest-ever Premier League points tally (54) under Silva and also set a new record for goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League era (17).
Silva has not managed in Portugal since 2015 when he left Benfica’s rivals Sporting Lisbon – the former club of Ruben Amorim, who had initially been linked with replacing Mourinho at Benfica.
Meanwhile, Mourinho’s future remains uncertain – with Real Madrid believed to be monitoring the situation closely as they weigh up a shock reunion with their former boss.
