Tottenham 'very close' to surprise manager appointment as deal 'almost done' for Ange Postecoglou replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are 'very close' to reaching an agreement with Fulham boss Marco Silva to become their new manager, according to reports in Portugal.

The Lilywhites board are currently working tirelessly to find the perfect successor to Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked from his post on Friday afternoon.

Despite masterminding Tottenham's run to their first trophy in 17 years, Postecoglou also presided over a disastrous Premier League campaign which put Spurs into the history books.

En route to a humiliating 17th-placed finish, Tottenham lost 22 top-flight games, the most for one side in a single Premier League season without being relegated.

Basing their decision on the season as a whole rather than the jubilation of one evening, Spurs gave Postecoglou the boot with two years remaining on his contract, reportedly putting him in line for a £4m compensation package.

Silva to Tottenham deal 'almost done'

As expected, several names have been tipped to take over from the Australian and lead Spurs into the Champions League next season, most notably Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.

The Dane was immediately viewed as the number one contender to step into Postecoglou's shoes, but in an unexpected twist, Record claims that Fulham's Silva is instead on the verge of moving to North London.

The outlet claims that the two parties are 'very close' to striking a contractual agreement, and the deal to take him from Craven Cottage to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is 'almost done'.

Silva only has a year left to run on his Fulham deal, whereas Frank's Brentford contract expires in 2027, meaning Spurs would likely have to pay more to buy the latter out of his agreement.

The current Fulham head coach was also courted by Al-Hilal earlier this summer, but the Saudi Pro League giants instead hired Simone Inzaghi following his exit from losing Champions League finalists Inter Milan.

Silva to Tottenham: An underwhelming appointment or breath of fresh air?

While Spurs set unwanted records in the 2024-25 season, Fulham achieved their highest-ever Premier League points total under Silva's wing, collecting 54 from their 38 fixtures.

The Portuguese's 44% win rate is his highest out of any English club he has coached, having also taken charge of Hull City, Everton and Watford, and he has previous experience of Champions League management.

Silva took charge of both Sporting Lisbon and Olympiacos in Europe's top tournament - masterminding a 3-2 win over Arsenal while coaching the latter in 2015 - and his teams often employ an aggressive but methodical approach.

The 47-year-old has made great strides with Fulham, but Spurs hiring him would have the feel of Nuno Espirito Santo 2.0; taking a manager who did reasonably well at a mid-table club and putting him out of his depth.

Of course, Santo has since worked wonders at Nottingham Forest, but the prospective appointment of Silva does have an underwhelming feel to it given his largely modest managerial achievements to date.

Written by
Ben Knapton