Former Newcastle United boss has spoken to Premier League club as another candidate emerges

Former Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has reportedly held talks with Leicester City over their vacant managerial position. The Spaniard has been weighing up his next move in the game since his departure from fellow Premier League side Everton in January last year.

The Foxes are in the hunt for a new manager after deciding to sack Brendan Rodgers following their poor run of form earlier this month. They are currently embroiled in a relegation zone in the top flight and are sat in 19th place in the table.

According to reporter Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Leicester have held ‘two meetings’ with Benitez and his representatives about him potentially taking over at the King Power Stadium. However, no agreement has been made yet and former Aston Villa man Dean Smith is now said to be in discussions over the role.

Newcastle turned to Benitez back in 2016 and they were relegated to the Championship during his time in the North East. However, he guided them to an immediate return from the second tier by winning the league title before keeping them in the Premier League in the subsequent campaigns.

The 62-year-old is a vastly experienced boss in the game and has also had spells at Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid and Everton in the past, overseeing over 1,000 games from the dugout to date.