Fulham are on the verge of appointing former Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager following Marco Silva’s departure to Benfica.
Silva has agreed a two-year contract with Benfica, where he will succeed Jose Mourinho, who is set to return to Real Madrid for a second spell in charge.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey during his time at the Bernabeu.
Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that Arbeloa is in advanced negotiations with Fulham and that a deal is described as “very close.”
Romano said: “Alvaro Arbeloa is in advanced negotiations to become the new head coach at Fulham.”
The respected transfer reporter also confirmed that Fulham owner Tony Khan had been examining multiple candidates before zeroing in on the 43-year-old Spaniard.
Romano added: “Negotiations are very advanced, it’s very close, Arbeloa has opened doors to this possibility, Arbeloa wants to restart immediately.”
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid full-back took over first-team duties at Madrid in January after Xabi Alonso was sacked following just six months in charge.
Arbeloa was unable to turn their season around, falling short in the La Liga title race against Barcelona and suffering a Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Romano noted that the Spaniard is eager to return to management without delay, saying: “Arbeloa is keen on this possibility and the option to become Fulham manager is exciting him.”
Fulham had also been linked with Kieran McKenna before the Northern Irishman announced his resignation as Ipswich Town manager, ruling himself out of contention.
McKenna, 40, stepped down shortly after guiding Ipswich back to the Premier League, stating he needed time away from the game to be with his family.
In a statement published on Ipswich’s official website, McKenna said: “It is with a mixture of gratitude, pride, sadness and contentment that I have decided to step down from the honour of managing this historic football club.”
McKenna also stated: “After giving so much to the role over the previous five seasons, I now look forward to taking a break from management and dedicating some time to my family, who have been with me every step of my career so far.”
With McKenna no longer available, Fulham have moved decisively toward Arbeloa, with Romano describing the situation as a notable managerial merry-go-round involving Mourinho, Silva, and the former defender.