Early-summer blow for Leeds rivals as Marco Silva ‘to join’ Benfica | OneFootball

Fulham could lose head coach Marco Silva to Benfica, an early-summer setback for Leeds United’s rivals. talkSPORT reports that a verbal agreement has been reached for the Portuguese to take over in Lisbon.

Leeds finished 14th on their Premier League return, with Fulham in 11th and a five-point gap between them. Each club won once in the head-to-head.

The report says Benfica are seeking a successor to Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho and have offered Silva around £4m per year, roughly half of Fulham’s £8m per year proposal.

A tilt at domestic honours, regular Champions League qualification and Silva’s Lisbon roots are seen as pulling factors. Fulham are said to be awaiting formal communication from their head coach.

Silva took over at Fulham after relegation in 2021 and delivered an immediate return by winning the Championship.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner looks set to move on, while Bournemouth will replace the departing Andoni Iraola with Marco Rose.

Uncertainty at Craven Cottage extends to the squad, with winger Harry Wilson out of contract this summer. He posted 10 goals and seven assists in 36 league games and was a summer 2025 deadline-day target for Leeds.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk