Rafael Benitez has been a little bit like Raheem Sterling in the last few months in the way that both have been linked with almost every club with a few bob to their name.
But while Sterling’s contract nonsense continues to rumble on, it looks like Benitez’s talks with a new club are well underway and it’s not too shabby a step-up.
The Spaniard had been linked with a number of Premier League clubs including Man City, West Ham and a return to Liverpool but it looks like the Madrid-born manager could be set for a dream move to Real Madrid.
Reports claim that the Real board are likely to part company with Carlo Ancellotti in the summer after a disappointing and trophyless campaign.
Filippo Ricci, Spanish football correspondent for Gazzetta dello Sport, revealed the news via Twitter last night that Napoli boss Rafa Benitez is the favourite for the Bernabeu hotseat.
Similarly, Italian football reporter Gianluca Di Marzio (the man who first broke the Pep Guardiola to Bayern Munich news) writes:
“Napoli’s Spanish manager had reached an agreement in principle with West Ham United for next season, but this morning scenarios changed quickly: Benitez has had a direct contact with Hammer’s chairman and he has declined the offer of the English club because… because Real Madrid is strongly interested in him. Yes.
“Liverpool (which has contacted Klopp too in case they decide to change manager) and Manchester City have tried some indirect contacts, but Real is ahead in negotiations. The negotiation between the parts is advanced, the contacts are continuing: and so Rafa Benitez is Ancelotti’s successor? Real Madrid’s chairman, Florentino Perez, is seriously thinking about him, he’s ready to make a revolution after this season.”
Benitez knows La Liga well after securing the title twice in four years during his time with Valencia in 2001/02 and 2003/04, the club’s first league successes since the early 1970s, which earned him the plaudits that saw him move to Anfield in 2004.
We personally can’t wait to see Cristiano Ronaldo’s face when Benitez delivers his famous “fact file” to him on the first day of pre-season training.
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