The Spaniard is looking like he is heading back to Serie A.
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has sent his agent to Napoli to meet with the club to discuss the possibility of taking over as manager next season, reports La Gazzetta.
Benitez will definitely leave his post at Stamford Bridge this summer – with Jose Mourinho expected to come back as his replacement – and has been linked with several coveted jobs around Europe.
Napoli are searching for a new boss with current manager Walter Mazzarri leaving the club at the end of the season and expected to take over at Inter Milan.
It would be a return to Serie A for Benitez with he himself managing Inter, succeeding Mourinho for a torrid six months before being sacked in December 2010.
However, an impressive term with Chelsea, in which he has secured them Champions League football for 2013/14 and won the Europa League, has made the Spaniard are highly sought after manager once again.
Napoli themselves finished second this year in the Italian league behind champions Juventus and will be playing top European football next year – considered to be a specialist area for Benitez who has won the Champions League and the Europa League twice during his career.
The Naples club are believed to be prepared to offer the 53-year-old a €3.5million-a-year salary to try and tempt him to return to Italy.
Benitez’s agent has flown out to meet club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and discuss the terms of his client’s contract – who will also want to bring current Chelsea assistant Boudewijn Zenden with him.
Napoli have already approached Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas in their attempts to find Mazzarri’s successor.
COMMENTS