Everton are believed to have had a second round of talks with former Liverpool and Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as manager of Goodison Park.
Toffees finished 10th in the Premier League 2020/21, which marked a return to the top of the table but also still their second lowest league match since 2016. Ancelotti then jumped the ship when given the chance to return to Real Madrid leaving Toffees at a critical time .
Benitez spent 18 months as head of the Chinese Super League team Dalian Professional after leaving Newcastle at the end of the 2018/19 Premier League season. The 61-year-old left the Chinese club in January this year and has not yet returned to the lead.
But Everton seem to be making progress in bringing Benitez back to the Premier League. The Times writes that despite his apparent Liverpool affiliation, he ‘wants the job’ and supports himself to be successful enough to silence the expected disapproval from fans.
After the first talks with Everton’s majority owner Farhad Moshiri last week, Benitez has had new discussions about taking the job. The ongoing interest in the Spaniard may so far also have prevented Toffees from making a formal offer to ex-Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Benitez is convinced he would be successful enough at Everton to silence disgruntled fans / Henry Browne / Getty Images
It is said that Nuno expected an offer to come a few days ago after he “actually agreed” personal terms. But talks with Benitez have delayed each appointment, and it also suggested that not everyone at Goodison was sold entirely in Portuguese.
Benitez guided Liverpool to Champions League glory in his first season at the club in 2004/05. He took them to another final in 2007 and oversaw a serious Premier League challenge in 2008/09 that drove any champions Manchester United to the thread.
The former Valencia boss, the only coach besides Diego Simeone who won La Liga with a club other than Real Madrid or Barcelona since 2000, later returned to England as an initially unpopular temporary coach at Chelsea and won the Europa League in 2013.
Benitez won Champions League with Liverpool 2005 / Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images
Benitez spent two years in Naples after that, before getting the chance to coach Real Madrid in 2015, the club where he started his own playing career in his youth. Ironically, it was Ancelotti who succeeded in the Bernabeu after the Italian was fired.
He then joined a declining Newcastle in March 2016. Benitez could not steer the club from relegation but got stuck and secured an immediate promotion by winning the championship next season. The Magpies then finished 10th in their first year back in top flight.
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