Former Sky Sports football anchor Richard Keys has claimed that ex-Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez tried to get the Everton job twice while he was at Newcastle United.
Benitez, who remains a cult figure at Anfield after leading Liverpool to the Champions League in 2005, left his post as Newcastle manager this summer after failing to agree terms on a new contract.
He has headed to the Chinese Super League to take over at Dalian Yifang, but continues to be linked with a potential return to the Premier League.
With Marco Silva under big pressure at Everton, Keys has floated Benitez as an option for the Toffees and says he would walk back from China for the job.
Keys, who is now leading beIN SPORTS' Premier League coverage from Qatar, has claimed Benitez twice tried to get the Everton job while he was employed by Newcastle.
"I’ve never thought Silva was the man to take Everton forward", he wrote in his blog.
"They’d have been better off marking time with Sam [Allardyce] and looking around for the right successor.
"Everton are not the first club to waste a fortune and they won’t be the last and they’ve got to get on with it now.
"Who next? Arsene Wenger is available of course. So is David Moyes and my call left field last week was Rafa.
"Don’t believe he wouldn’t take it. He tried twice to get it when he was at Newcastle – before Sam and Silva.
"He’d walk back from China for it.
"Rafa doesn’t do ‘emotion’ – as he proved when he went to Chelsea. He does what he believes is right for himself. He always has. Ask Mike Ashley", he added.
Benitez's Dalian Yifang are currently seventh in the Chinese Super League standings after collecting 34 points from their opening 25 games.
Dalian Yifang headed into the international break on the back of a 2-0 win over Shenzhen FC.
