Fulham's summer hunt: Khan narrows field to two after Silva exit

Fulham owner Tony Khan announced that the club is embarking on an “exciting and important summer” as it seeks a successor to Marco Silva, who departed to become Benfica manager. Khan said the search has narrowed to two candidates who each bring significant positives.

reported in early June that Fulham were in advanced talks with 43‑year‑old Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa for the vacant manager role. The club’s owner Tony Khan confirmed the search was underway.

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has also been linked with the position. Fulham are also reported to have spoken with Kieran McKenna, who recently joined Ipswich Town after their promotion to the Premier League.

McKenna indicated he wanted a break to spend time with his family before considering a new role. The former Fulham boss Marco Silva, after five years, turned down a new three‑year contract to replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica.

Khan told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast that his time at Fulham had been “a lot of learning and a great experience”. He added that the best results came in the recent years under Silva’s guidance.

Khan said he has “so much respect for Marco” and praised the stability the club achieved in his four seasons. He noted that Fulham finished 10th, 13th, 11th and 11th in the Premier League during that period.

He highlighted the consistency of those results compared with the club’s 20th‑place finish in the Championship a decade earlier. Khan believes the progress demonstrates how far the club has come.

Khan emphasized that the club is now speaking closely with two candidates who each bring many positives. He described the appointment process as a crucial step at an important time for Fulham.