Speaking to FootballFanCast, pundit Carlton Palmer has told chairman Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur to appoint Rafael Benitez as a ‘no-brainer’ candidate.
The Lowdown: Spurs manager hunt…
Benitez, who is a free agent after leaving Chinese Super League side Dalian Pro, has been loosely linked to the managerial vacancy at Tottenham.
Indeed, separate reports in both the Daily Mail and Football Insider recently claimed that the Champions League-winning boss is keen to join Spurs.
The Spaniard was also being considered by Tottenham at one point, but his name has faded from the fray.
Right now, Spurs are in talks with ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca but it is by no means a done deal – with there being some wariness given how the Antonio Conte deal collapsed (BBC).
The Latest: Palmer tells Spurs to appoint Benitez…
Speaking to FFC, pundit Palmer has urged Spurs to consider Benitez as a ‘no-brainer’ appointment – with the former Premier League midfielder branding him a ‘top manager’.
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“Rafael Benitez is a top manager, that goes without saying,” he explained.
“Rafa knows what he’s doing, he’s managed in almost every league and had success. So, for me, that’s a no-brainer, really.”
The Verdict: Underrated candidate…
Revered for his job at one point on a shoe string budget at Newcastle United (Gary Lineker, Twitter), it is arguably surprising he hasn’t been mentioned more as a candidate.
A title-winner at Valencia, Benitez also has two European trophies to his name – lifting the Champions League with Liverpool and Europa League with Chelsea (rafabenitez.com).
As a free agent, he could also prove to be a relatively cheap appointment amid tough financial circumstances, due to the absence of any potential compensation fee.
Amid the talks with Fonseca, it will be interesting to see if Spurs end up speaking to other candidates or if new ones enter the fray – could Benitez end up being one of them?
In other news: Spurs could still swoop for this ‘genius’ boss dubbed ‘the very best’ in world football, find out more here.