According to Mark Douglas at the ipaper, PIF-owned Al Hilal are ‘in talks’ with Fulham manager Marco Silva after discovering a £6m release clause in his contract.
It was revealed earlier this month that PIF – Newcastle’s majority owners – have taken control, via a 75% stake, of the top four sides in Saudi – Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Nassr – and it seems their big-money bids for a host of Premier League players has now been followed by a move for Silva.
The 45-year-old has worked wonders with the Cottagers, winning the Championship in his first season and following that up with a top half finish in the Premier League over the 2022/23 campaign.
Silva has just one year left on his contract with Fulham and Al-Hilal are prepared to pay the £6m release clause and offer him a ‘lucrative’ deal after recently securing Wolves’ Rube Neves and Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
While the Saudi Pro League has already attracting some of Europe’s elite players – Bernardo Silva is thought to be their latest target – this would be the first big managerial appointment arriving directly from a Premier League club.
The Portuguese coach is still in talks with the West London club. The pull of staying in England may be enough to persuade him to extend, but it feels like a matter of time until a top flight manager is tempted by the money on offer in Saudi.
