Fulham have yet to hold formal discussions with any of the three managers that the media have reported as The Cottagers shortlist – and USA boss Bob Bradley is now said to have joined the running.
Bradley has emerged as the front-runner after Hodgson’s move to the Liverpool hotseat.
Bradley earns £330,000 a year as US coach and has just five months of his current contract to run.
And his calm, methodical approach has impressed Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed, who is now ready to triple Bradley’s wages to £1m-a-year.
Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes and Alan Curbishley are understood to have comprised Mohamed Al-Fayed’s original three-man shortlist following Roy Hodgson’s move to Liverpool, but none has yet held talks with the club owner.
Eriksson has emerged as the media favourite to be appointed, possibly as early as this week, but Al-Fayed is concerned by reports the former England boss is a ‘money-grabber’. It was said that Eriksson had been paid £2 million for his short stint in charge of Ivory Coast, but Soccernet has learned that the actual fee was ?300,000 (£250,000). His agent, Athole Still, has also made clear to Soccernet that suggestions he is the favourite are some way clear of the mark.
Curbishley, whose last job was with West Ham, says he has been informed that he is one of “two or three candidates” for the position but, before departing for a week-long holiday in Spain, he said “I am not that hopeful to tell you the truth, but we shall see.”
Mark Hughes’ representative, Kia Joorabchian said “We are not in discussions with Fulham, so I cannot comment.”
It is reported that one of the candidates for the post was in charge of a side at the World Cup, which may indicate there is truth to widespread reports Bradley is a contender. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic and Finland boss Stuart Baxter have also been linked.
