Marco Silva is edging towards leaving Fulham with a decision over his future expected this week.
Standard Sport understands that while Silva could yet stay at Craven Cottage, the option of returning to his native Lisbon to manage Benfica appeals.
Silva is out of contract next month and has a three-year renewal offer from the Cottagers.
The Portuguese has been keen to keep his options open, though, and now looks poised to replace Jose Mourinho at the Estadio da Luz.
Mourinho is expected to return to Real Madrid this summer and has agreed to a two-year deal to become the permanent successor to Xabi Alonso.
Silva reportedly has a verbal agreement in place to take over from Mourinho, which would bring to an end his five-year stint at Fulham.
The 48-year-old was in Lisbon this week as a guest speaker at the Excellence Futbol awards.
Fulham missed out on European qualification by one point this season after winning two of their final seven league games.
The west London club have established themselves as a mid-table side under Silva following their promotion back to the top flight in 2022.
Fulham recorded their record Premier League points tally last season and have reached the quarter-finals in either the FA Cup or League Cup in each campaign since coming back up.
In his programme notes last weekend, owner Shahid Khan said Silva was aware of the club’s ambitions.
“Marco Silva has been absolutely integral to everything we have achieved,” he wrote.
“He is a major part of the foundation we are building, and he is aware of our collective ambition for the seasons ahead. The retention of our key players matters enormously in this regard.
