Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan says the club had a new contract ready for Marco Silva this summer before Benfica swooped in and lured the manager back to Portugal.
"After working together for several years with this consistent run of results, we wanted Marco to stay," Khan told Daily Mail Sport. "We had very positive talks. We all get along very well. It's a very positive friendship between Marco, myself and my dad. We're all good friends."
Khan, the 43-year-old son of Fulham's billionaire owner Shahid Khan, said the negotiation appeared complete before Silva changed course. "I had started planning for the next season and was building scouting bulletins and organising our plans. Marco came in and fully negotiated the contract. We all expected him to sign it and then were taken aback when that wasn't what happened," he said. "But I completely understand the decision he made to go home and work at a club of that magnitude, with the opportunity to live in his own house with his family every night. Those things made a lot of sense."
Benfica moved for the out-of-contract Silva after Jose Mourinho left them for a second spell at Real Madrid, with both deals arranged by agent Jorge Mendes, who represents both managers. Fulham responded by appointing former Liverpool, Real Madrid, West Ham and Spain right back Alvaro Arbeloa, who ended last season in interim charge of Real Madrid following Xabi Alonso's sacking after his coaching impressed at academy and reserve level.
"I'm very grateful to Marco," Khan said. "I consider him an important friend and a very important person in the history of the club. I know Alvaro really respects the job Marco did, the core we all built and Marco led, coached and strengthened. That's part of what made this an attractive opportunity for Alvaro."
Silva's five years at Fulham
Silva was the only candidate interviewed five years ago when he replaced Scott Parker after relegation to the Championship. Khan said his father has been at the Jacksonville Jaguars for 15 years and over 13 years at Fulham, and that Silva had the longest tenure of any coach at either club.
Silva led Fulham to promotion in his first season, then established the club in the Premier League with finishes of 10th, 13th, 11th and 11th. Fulham reached a League Cup semi-final in 2024 and two FA Cup quarter-finals during his tenure.
Arbeloa's arrival and connections
Fulham considered several candidates before settling on the 43-year-old Arbeloa. "Everybody agreed Alvaro was the most exciting, fresh, dynamic and intelligent person we connected with," Khan said. "And the person we thought would connect with our players and give Fulham the best opportunity going forward. That's why we hired him. He worked with Real Madrid's first team and their young players and has a lot of football experience."
Arbeloa spent two years at Liverpool and a year at West Ham as a player, winning two Champions Leagues with Real Madrid plus a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain. "He was a great player," Khan said. "He knows the Premier League, and his experiences are different to the experiences we have here. Alvaro brings a fresh perspective with his energy, ideas and connections. He is hard working, driven for success. There's a very bright future with him here for all of us."
Arbeloa's connections have already secured Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid for a combined fee of £42.5million. Garcia, a 22-year-old forward, made 30 La Liga appearances for Real last season and won his first Spain cap in June. Palacios, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder, is described by Arbeloa as "a magician" who will get Fulham fans out of their seats.
Jimenez and Wilson depart
Raul Jimenez, who scored nine goals last season, has returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Harry Wilson, who scored ten, left for Leeds after rejecting a new contract. Both were out of contract.
"Leeds were very interested in Harry Wilson late in the window last summer," Khan said. "It was such a large amount of money that it was something we had to look at and talk about, but the club made a very important decision keeping him at Fulham. He scored some very important goals in key situations and has been a strong player through five excellent years. I was hoping he would stay. Leeds got a fantastic player. He's been very well compensated, which he deserves, and I wish Harry the absolute best in everything he does unless it's against Fulham."
Khan's transfer record
Khan took control of Fulham's transfers in the summer of 2016 after the club finished 20th in the Championship, its lowest finish since promotion to the second tier under Kevin Keegan in 1999. "I saw the danger of the road the club were on," he said. "I thought it needed a complete upheaval. I approached my dad and said I really think I should take over the transfers and loans."
Khan said that team finished sixth and lost in the play-offs before promotion followed the next year, helped by moves including Aleksandar Mitrovic's loan signing from Newcastle. Mitrovic was signed for £27million and sold for £50million to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2023 after scoring 111 goals in five-and-a-half years at Fulham.
Khan named the return of Ryan Sessegnon, five years after a £25million move to Tottenham, as a favourite deal. "When I first started working in the office, Ryan was a talented player coming through the academy and starting to train with the first team," he said. "I rode five hours in the car to see his first league match against Leeds. Incredibly, that was 10 years ago this month. To have him back and part of the team now is special, and he's still a young guy with a great career in front of him at Fulham."
Squad depth and further targets
Despite losing Jimenez, Wilson and Issa Diop, who was sold to Ipswich for £8.5million, Fulham have kept the core of a settled squad. Khan pointed to Garcia, Palacios, wingers Oscar Bobb and Kevin, both 23, Swedish striker Jonah Kusi-Asare, 19, signed for £5million after a year on loan from Bayern Munich, and 19-year-old Josh King, who emerged from the academy last season.
Fulham have shown genuine interest in 19-year-old Thiago Pitarch, another Real Madrid prospect coached by Arbeloa in the youth teams, who gave him his senior debut in February against Benfica. Signing Pitarch would be an audacious coup, though it appears unlikely.
Fulham are close to completing a £30million signing of Southampton's Northern Ireland international midfielder Shea Charles, who came through Manchester City's academy and scored the late goal that knocked Arsenal out of last season's FA Cup.
"I'm very happy with what the club has achieved in recent years," Khan said. "Four years ago, everyone would have considered this to be very successful. Now it's a time to try new things but to keep many of these players who've been important in the run of success and stability at Fulham."
Khan highlighted milestones under Silva including the club's furthest League Cup run and its highest ever Premier League points total, 54, in the 2024-25 season. "I hope we can build on that," he said. "We have a strong core with players in their prime who we know can play together and exciting young players who can come in and compete with a young coach. Hopefully there's new milestones to hit in the league and cup, but I want to keep the club in a stable position in the Premier League."
