Benfica Plan for Mourinho Exit with Marco Silva as Target

Benfica are drawing up plans for life after José Mourinho, with Fulham’s Marco Silva at the top of their list if Real Madrid succeed in luring the Portuguese coach back to the Bernabéu.

Madrid have made Mourinho their preferred option and talks have already taken place over a dramatic return for the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager. Thirteen years after his first spell in the Spanish capital ended, the 63-year-old is expected to agree to a second stint in charge.

Benfica, who only hired Mourinho in September, have no desire to see him walk away so soon. They know, though, that when Madrid call, very few managers say no. The Lisbon club are working quietly in the background, and Silva has emerged as the leading contingency.

Silva at a crossroads

Fulham are pushing hard to keep Silva. They have put a new contract on the table and want the 48-year-old to continue the project he started by hauling them back into the Premier League in 2022 and then stabilising them in the top flight.

He has done exactly that. Fulham are no longer the yo-yo club of recent years, but they have found it difficult to turn mid-table security into a serious run at European places. For a manager with Silva’s ambition, the question is obvious: is this the ceiling?

Benfica offer a very different proposition. They sit second to Porto in Portugal and, with it, can dangle something Fulham cannot: regular Champions League football and a shot at domestic titles every season. For a Portuguese coach, the lure of leading one of the country’s giants is powerful, even more so if the vacancy arises because Mourinho has walked through the door at Madrid again.

Silva has yet to decide whether to sign on at Craven Cottage or to wait and see how the managerial carousel spins over the coming weeks. That hesitation has not gone unnoticed across Europe.

Chelsea circle as Alonso waits for England

Chelsea are also watching Silva closely. The London club, searching for a successor to Liam Rosenior after sacking him last month, have placed the Fulham manager on a shortlist that reflects both his Premier League work and his reputation for improving teams quickly.

They are in no rush. Chelsea are prepared to wait until the season finishes before making their move, confident that their preferred option, Xabi Alonso, will remain within reach.

Alonso, who steered Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024, has been out of work since his dismissal by Real Madrid this season. Despite that setback, his stock remains high. The Spaniard has long been on Chelsea’s radar — for at least three years — and he is understood to favour a job in England for his next step.

That stance keeps the door open at Stamford Bridge, but it also interests Liverpool, where Alonso’s playing days turned him into a cult figure. Liverpool have been floated as a possible destination if they eventually decide to part company with Arne Slot.

For now, the domino at the front of the line is Mourinho. If he signs on again at the Bernabéu, Benfica move for Silva. If Benfica move for Silva, Fulham and Chelsea are dragged into the storm. And waiting just behind them, patient and calculating, is Alonso, eyeing the right English project to restart his rise.