Fulham hold talks with Arbeloa as Craven Cottage searches for Silva successor

Fulham have held talks with Alvaro Arbeloa as the Premier League club look to fill the managerial vacancy left by Marco Silva’s departure from Craven Cottage.

Silva chose not to renew his contract at Fulham and has since been confirmed as the new head coach at Benfica, where he replaces Jose Mourinho. That swift exit has forced the west London club into an immediate search for his successor.

Arbeloa’s candidacy, reported by The Athletic, arrives after a turbulent spell at Real Madrid. The former Liverpool defender was handed the role following the surprise sacking of Xabi Alonso, who lasted only a matter of months at the Bernabeu. Arbeloa failed to deliver silverware at the club — rarely a sustainable position at Real — and was subsequently replaced by Mourinho. Despite the trophy-less tenure, he oversaw a Champions League knockout victory over Manchester City, and his prior experience as Real’s reserve team coach gave him a foundation for senior management.

Arbeloa is not the only name in the frame. Kieran McKenna, who resigned as Ipswich Town manager this week having just secured the club’s promotion back to the Premier League, has been linked with the vacancy, though he has indicated he intends to step away from management for a period. Ruben Amorim, sacked by Manchester United in January, has also been connected with the role, though reports suggest the former Sporting Lisbon coach is more likely to pursue an opportunity in Europe.

Whoever takes charge at Craven Cottage inherits a club in reasonable health. Silva arrived in 2021, won the Championship title in his debut season, and steadily established Fulham as a stable Premier League outfit. The club finished 10th, 13th, 11th and 11th across his four top-flight campaigns, with his final season yielding a club-record 54 Premier League points — a benchmark that underlines the scale of the task facing his replacement.