Silva, 48, had been identified as the leading candidate to replace Mourinho after Rúben Amorim declined to take the role. Multiple outlets reported a verbal agreement had been reached in principle, with Silva willing to accept a significant salary reduction from his current €7.5 million per year at Fulham to around €5 million at Benfica.
However, A Bola reported that the financial gap is only part of the problem — Silva is also seeking assurances over independence in squad-building that Benfica have been reluctant to guarantee.
Mourinho, who signed a three-year deal to return to Real Madrid pending Florentino Pérez's re-election on June 7, is contracted to Benfica until the end of June. His exit is expected to be confirmed once the election delivers Florentino Pérez's anticipated victory.
Fulham offered Silva a three-year contract extension worth £8 million per year — above his current earnings — to stay at Craven Cottage, where he has managed since July 2021. He declined that offer in favour of a return to Portugal, but agreement over terms with Benfica has not followed smoothly.
Benfica are now understood to be sounding out alternative candidates in parallel with the continuing Silva negotiations. The delay creates a problem — Mourinho's formal departure cannot be announced before the Madrid situation is settled, and Silva's appointment cannot be confirmed without Mourinho's exit being formalised. The countdown is real and both parties know it.