Thomas Frank 'sounded out' by two Premier League sides as interest grows in ex-Spurs boss

The West London club appointed former Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach in the summer, following the unexpected departure of Marco Silva to Benfica. However, the 43-year-old Spaniard has failed to galvanise the squad, and his team now sit 19th place in thetableafter five rounds.

The capital club entered the international break as one of three teams yet to win in the league this season, an unwanted statistic shared with bottom-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 17th-placed Bournemouth, increasing the pressure on Arbeloa. However, any criticism of the former Real Madrid defender has to come with the caveat of him facing Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the opening five rounds.

Still, they ran Chelsea close on the opening day,losing 3-2, before playing out creditable draws against the Reds and Red Devils. The 52-year-old tactician is viewed as a good fit by the Cottagers following his previously impressive exploits across the capital.

Frank earned widespread acclaim for transforming Brentford from Championship obscurity into an established top-flight outfit before enduring a bitterly disappointing eight-month spell at Spurs. The Danish manager was sacked by the North London club in February after registering the lowest win ratio of any permanent manager in their Premier League history, but he remains highly regarded across the English game.

The former Brentford boss is understood to be keen on making a swift top-flight return after taking several months away from the touchline to carefully reflect on his tactical approach. Palace are 15th in the league after five rounds, having scored just six goals and conceded 11, prompting speculation that they are considering a swift change by targeting Fulham's reported Arbeloa alternative.

If Fulham decide to officially pull the plug on the short-lived Arbeloa era, they must move swiftly to ensure they are not beaten to their primary managerial target. The Cottagers face a season-defining sequence of critical fixtures against the promoted trio Ipswich Town, Hull City and Coventry City immediately after the international break.