Marco Silva breaks silence as Ipswich Town chase Fulham's Tom Cairney | OneFootball

Fulham boss Marco Silva has spoken about the Tractor Boys’ interest in midfielder Tom Cairney.

Fulham boss Marco Silva has confirmed there is definite interest from Ipswich Town in midfielder Tom Cairney, but insists he is yet to speak with the player about whether he is keen on a January switch to Portman Road.

This was reported by journalist Jack Kelly, who spoke to Silva ahead of the Cottagers’ third-round FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough.

With the January transfer window open, it’s a brilliant opportunity for Ipswich to bolster some key departments, as they compete for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys, under the guidance of Kieran McKenna, originally had a slow start on their return to the second-tier, failing to win any of their opening four league matches, but over the festive period, they are now brimming with confidence, which has led to their sharp rise up the table.

From the beginning of December 2025, the Suffolk-based outfit have won five out of their last eight second-tier outings, including a fantastic 2-0 victory away at table-toppers Coventry City.

These recent run of results have pushed Ipswich up to third in the table, just two points off second-placed Middlesbrough and eight points away from the Sky Blues at the summit.

Ipswich also have a game in hand on the duo above them, so in that time, McKenna’s men could well leapfrog Boro and put themselves in the driving seat to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Normality seems to be being restored, with Ipswich favoured at the beginning of the term to gain immediate promotion, given they possess quality first-team assets with valuable Championship experience.

And now Ipswich are looking to give it one big push at the turn of the new year to cement their place back in the Premier League, with it originally emerging from Sky Sports that they have made an approach to bring Cairney to Portman Road.

Now Fulham’s boss has opened up about the situation, and the likelihood of Ipswich landing their desired target.

Marco Silva confirms Ipswich Town interest in Tom Cairney

As reported by journalist Jack Kelly ahead of Fulham’s FA Cup third-round tie against Middlesbrough, Marco Silva revealed that there has been interest from Ipswich Town in midfielder Tom Cairney, but that the Portuguese boss is yet to speak to the 34-year-old about whether he wants to make a move away from Craven Cottage.

Silva said: "The interest from Ipswich is there. I didn't have any conversation with Tom about it yet."

Ipswich Town may have one foot in the Premier League door if they seal Tom Cairney signing

While it is a relatively short snippet from Marco Silva, he did confirm Ipswich Town are in the hunt for Tom Cairney and refused to rule out that the Scotsman wouldn’t be sold in January, so the Tractor Boys must feel optimistic about their chances of landing the midfielder.

There is some slight doubt about a move happening given Cairney’s emergence in the Fulham team in recent weeks, scoring in a 1-1 draw away to Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day, as well as starting in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool and a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Wednesday evening.

However, Fulham are in a very tricky situation with Cairney given that his contract expires in the summer, so it’s whether they move him on to Ipswich to make some sort of fee on a sale, or keep him for squad depth and risk losing him for nothing at the close of the season.

Silva did confirm that Fulham could initiate contact with Cairney over a new contract, so it seems to be up to the player about where he thinks he can enjoy his football and be a success at the most.

If Ipswich can get a deal over the line, then it would be a magnificent signing at Championship level. Cairney has proven he can still cut it in the top-flight at the age of 34, and would be such a dominant figure in a midfield line in the second-tier, able to create bundles of chances as well as having a neat eye for goal with his wand of a left foot.

With Silva leaving the door open for Ipswich to swoop, it could be the signing that transforms their season and plays a massive part in getting them back to the promised land of the Premier League.