A Premier League manager will reportedly be in pole position to replace Ange Postecoglou if Tottenham Hotspur decide to sack their manager.
Postecoglou's future in North London is currently under the microscope following an "unacceptable" 2-0 defeat at Fulham prior to the international break - Spurs' 15th loss in the Premier League this season.
After 29 matches, Tottenham are languishing in 14th place in the top-flight table, and while there are no fears of relegation - sitting 17 points clear of the bottom three - the Lilywhites are in danger of ending the miserable campaign in the bottom half of the table.
Tottenham currently sit 10 points adrift of Bournemouth in 10th, while they are 13 points behind Brighton & Hove Albion in seventh, with a strong end to the season and a drop-off in form from several other clubs above them required for Spurs to miraculously sneak into the European places.
Spurs could qualify for next season's Champions League if they triumph in the Europa League, and Postecoglou, 59, has put pressure on himself to win silverware - and Tottenham's first trophy since 2008 - after stating at the beginning of this season that he "always win things in my second year".
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Silva identified as Postecoglou replacement?
Should Tottenham's lengthy run of poor results and performances continue, and they fail to beat Eintracht Frankfurt over two legs in their Europa League quarter-final tie, speculation over Postecoglou's future will intensify.
The likes of Inter Milan's Simone Inzaghi, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, currently in charge of USA, have all been tipped to potentially succeed Postecoglou in North London.
However, former Spurs scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected within the game, has claimed that Fulham's Marco Silva is in pole position to take the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level recruitment after over a decade at Manchester United, does not see Postecoglou lasting beyond the end of the current campaign, and sources have suggested that Silva would be one of Tottenham's leading targets.
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Could Spurs swap Postecoglou for Silva?
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown said: "Tottenham, unless they put a run together from now to the end of the season, you would think that things might happen [to Postecoglou] there in terms of the sack for the manager.
"Silva would certainly be top of the pops in terms of competition for that [managerial] spot, that's what I'm hearing from my sources there."
Since joining Fulham in 2021, Silva has steered the Cottagers to the Championship title and has established the club in the Premier League, boasting a win ratio of 44.83% across 174 matches.
The 47-year-old has seen his Fulham side go from strength to strength this season and their aforementioned win over Spurs helped them climb up to eighth in the Premier League table, just four points behind the top four with nine games remaining.
Silva will soon be entering the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage which is believed to include a £7.5m release clause.
Oliver Thomas
