Fulham talks with Alvaro Arbeloa continue as former Liverpool star discusses three-year deal to succeed Marco Silva – as Ipswich close in on Gary O’Neil appointment
Fulham are continuing talks with Alvaro Arbeloa over becoming their new manager.
Discussions have taken place over a three-year contract and the make-up of his backroom team as the former Liverpool defender prepares to cut his teeth in Premier League management.
The 43-year-old is considered the favourite to succeed Marco Silva but Fulham also have another candidate they are speaking to.
Arbeloa was replaced as Real Madrid coach by Jose Mourinho, having been promoted from within to settle a divisive dressing room that had imploded under previous boss Xabi Alonso.
Arbeloa managed Real Madrid on an interim basis at the backend of last season
Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa played together at Liverpool and could come face to face on the opening weekend of the Premier League season
Alonso and Arbeloa, teammates at club and international level previously, could come face to face for their first Premier League game of the season on August 24 as Fulham take on Chelsea.
Fulham also need a manager in place as they face the prospect of bringing in several new players, and Arbeloa has already been asked his opinion on some options who have been identified.
Fulham had also considered Kieran McKenna among other candidates, but he would still be costly at £7.5m compensation after leaving Ipswich to take a break.
The Tractor Boys, meanwhile, are closing on the appointment of Gary O’Neil as their next manager.
The Premier League new boys and O’Neil’s French club Strasbourg, plus owners BlueCo, are negotiating compensation for the 43-year-old’s release. A solution is anticipated over the next 24 hours.
O’Neil has been in charge at Strasbourg since January when he replaced Liam Rosenior who joined Chelsea.
Indeed, despite criticism, Strasbourg president Marc Keller has taken a degree of pride in seeing his last two appointments move on to manage in the Premier League.
The Alsace club have assembled one of the youngest top flight squads in Europe and have seven players at the World Cup.
Gary O’Neil has been in charge at Strasbourg since January, when he replaced Chelsea-bound Liam Rosenior
O’Neil guided Strasbourg to eighth in the French league last season after taking over from Rosenior who had also pitched for the vacancy at Portman Road.
Having replaced Rosenior, O’Neil took Strasbourg to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France and the UEFA Europa Conference League. He was the first Englishman to take a team to a European semi-final since Roy Hodgson with Fulham.
O’Neil previously managed at Bournemouth and Wolves.
Ipswich retain a £7.5m compensation clause on McKenna should he be appointed manager elsewhere in the next 12 months.
Strasbourg, meanwhile, have begun the search for a new coach, looking for a profile of someone who will understand and develop young talent.
