Benfica are closing in on the appointment of Marco Silva as head coach as they look to replace Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho will take over as boss of Real Madrid on the assumption Florentino Perez wins the presidential election on Sunday, as expected, against challenger Enrique Riquelme.
The election has caused a delay in appointing Mourinho, meaning Madrid will have to pay up to €15million in compensation to Benfica, who have been in negotiations with Silva for several days.
The Portuguese has been at Fulham for five years and helped establish them as a mid-table Premier League club.
The 48-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the month and despite being offered fresh terms by the Cottagers, he is eager to return to his home city of Lisbon.
Silva gets Benfica assurances he craved
A report in Portuguese newspaper A Bola claims Silva sought assurances from Benfica president Rui Costa and sporting director Mario Branca that he would play a significant role in the transformation of the squad and now they have been granted, the move can progress.
Silva has been offered a €5million joining fee and a similar annual salary having been presented with a new deal by Fulham that was worth €7.5m a year.
His appointment should be confirmed in the next few days, allowing both Benfica and Fulham to press on with their summer plans.
Fulham had hoped to lure Andoni Iraola to Craven Cottage as his replacement but the Spaniard appears set to join Liverpool.
