According to informed sources cited by the newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat,” Marco Silva, the Portuguese manager of Fulham in the English Premier League, is the primary candidate to lead Al-Hilal next season. The sources also mentioned that three other managers—Massimiliano Allegri, Xavi, and Nuno Espírito Santo—are on the Saudi club’s shortlist at this stage.

The sources further clarified that Al-Hilal faces obstacles in recruiting Simone Inzaghi, the Italian manager of Inter Milan, as he is currently focused on achieving major goals with Inter, particularly participating in the upcoming Club World Cup this summer. Additionally, Inter is in contention for the Serie A title. However, this option has not been entirely ruled out.

Al-Hilal recently sacked their Portuguese manager, Jorge Jesus, due to poor results in domestic and Asian competitions. His last failure was elimination in the AFC Champions League semifinals against Al-Ahli. Following this, the club appointed Mohammed Al-Shalhoub as interim manager for the remainder of the league season.

Al-Shalhoub, 45, is a product of Al-Hilal’s academy and has been associated with the club since 1998, rising to the first team and even captaining the side. He has won 33 trophies with Al-Hilal, a record in Saudi football. When Jesus returned to Al-Hilal in July 2023, he added Al-Shalhoub to his coaching staff as an assistant.

Al-Hilal’s chances of defending their Saudi Professional League title also seem challenging, as they trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by six points with only five matchweeks remaining. The club has also been eliminated from the King’s Cup.

In the AFC Champions League, Al-Hilal performed well in the group stage, topping the West Zone with seven wins and one draw, albeit only on goal difference ahead of Al-Ahli. They suffered their first-ever defeat in the Round of 16, losing 1-0 to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, but overturned the deficit with a 4-0 victory in the return leg. They then advanced to the semifinals for the sixth time since 2014 after a 7-0 win over South Korea’s Guangzhou, but ultimately fell short of the final after a 3-1 loss to Al-Ahli in Jeddah.