Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno has helped his manager Marco Silva get a job at a “big club”.
The Pitch Prospect understands Fulham have been considering Silva’s future as tensions rise behind the scenes at Craven Cottage.
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The Portuguese is reluctant to sign a new contract at Craven Cottage and it looks like he will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The 48-year-old has been Fulham’s manager since 2021 and last season led them to their highest ever Premier League points tally of 54 points – which saw them finish the season in 11th place.
Speculation about his future grew in the summer and he even held talks with Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, who wanted to put him in charge of the Club World Cup.
Silva was also linked with Tottenham when Ange Postecoglou was sacked and then with Nottingham Forest when the Australian lost his job again.
Ahead of Fulham’s clash with Man City, which will be broadcast live on The Pitch Prospect 2 on Tuesday evening, Leno apparently hinted that Silva will leave.
Leno told The Pitch Prospect: “What he did to Fulham was absolutely brilliant and I think everyone needs to appreciate him, just like every fan.”
“You can see the hunger, the fire that he has here every day, because whenever you switch off or relax a little, he’s breathing down your neck.
“I think that shows his mentality, his ambition and all that stuff.
“He is a fantastic manager and unfortunately he will leave at some point because I am pretty sure he will play at one of the biggest clubs in the world because he deserves it.”
“But as I said, everyone at Fulham Football Club is so happy he’s here and hopefully he stays here longer.”
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Fulham’s view
The Cottagers would prefer Silva to extend his contract so they can advance in the 2026 market.
Owner Shahid Khan insisted he was part of the club’s long-term plans in an interview with The Pitch Prospect in October.
Khan said: “He was great.
“I really like him, not only as a person but also as a football manager and head coach. I definitely think he is in our long-term plans.”
Silva’s transfer window frustration
The Fulham boss made no secret of his frustration with the summer transfer market, with the club signing three players on deadline day.
Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze and Jonah Kusi-Asare, the club’s record signings, have all taken time to get up to speed.
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Silva spoke about his January transfer plans ahead of Man City’s visit on Tuesday, insisting he wants the deal to be completed early.
“I don’t want to put a number on it,” Silva said in his pre-match press conference.
“These three or four months have created a different scenario for us. Of course, last summer we had one or two things that were not possible for us because we had some players in the last days of the market.
“We are working together, myself, the staff and the board, to see if we can do it and see if we can do it quickly in the first few days of the market.”
Fulham are currently 15th in the Premier League after 13 games.
All 10 Premier League games this week will be broadcast live on the The Pitch Prospect network.