Marco Silva has told Al-Hilal he wants to stay in Europe despite a mega-money offer to join the Saudi Pro League side, talkSPORT understands.
Fulham boss Silva has held several meetings with Hilal officials, who wanted him to lead them at this summer’s Club World Cup.
Hilal asked for a final answer this week after being told by Simone Inzaghi he wanted to remain at Inter Milan.
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo is another name appreciated by Hilal chiefs.
Silva is on Tottenham’s list of potential replacements for Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian’s future appears destined to hinge on the result of Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United on May 21.
Postecoglou has overseen a dismal Premier League campaign as Tottenham slumped to their 20th league defeat this term via a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The result left Tottenham in 17th on 38 points with two games remaining and are unable to finish higher than 13th.
It means they are guaranteed to secure their lowest league finish for 21 years, with their current worst being 14th in 2004.
Not only that, Postecoglou can only lead Tottenham to their worst-ever Premier League points tally of 44, which they managed in the 1997/98 season.
As for Silva, he has Fulham destined for a mid-table finish.
The Cottagers sit 11th in the Premier League on 51 points, two ahead of 12th-placed Crystal Palace.
A 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on May 3 saw Silva’s side drop to the bottom half of the table for the first time since September 14.
Fulham have also suffered a dip in form having won just once in their last five games.
The sole victory was a 2-1 triumph away to already-relegated Southampton, with Ryan Sessegnon’s 92nd-minute strike securing all three points.
Silva took over at Craven Cottage in July 2021 and enjoyed instant success as Fulham won the Championship.
The Portuguese boss also helped Aleksandar Mitrovic break the Championship record for most league goals scored in a single season as the Serbian enjoyed an absurd 43-goal haul.
Fulham shook off their yo-yo club tag when they recorded an impressive 10th-place finish in the 2022/23 Premier League season.
In fact, Silva had the Cottagers firmly in the mix for a European spot, but just four league wins in their final 13 fixtures derailed their hopes for a continental return.
Fulham finished 13th last season as they rebounded from Mitrovic’s summer departure to Al-Hilal.
The Saudi club have been on the lookout for a new boss after Jorge Jesus was ousted following a 3-1 loss to fellow Saudi club Al-Ahli in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite.
