Ex-Liverpool and Newcastle United manager Rafael Benítez wants return to Premier League management amid Leeds United vacancy

Leeds United and Southampton are the only clubs in the Premier League with managerial vacancies currently, with both relegation-threatened clubs relying on interim managers at key points of their respective seasons.

The Whites have been frustrated in their search for Jesse Marsch’s replacement with top targets Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot both opting to remain at Rayo Vallecano and Feyenoord. Michael Skubala has taken charge of the last three Leeds games as they lost to Manchester United and Everton while also earning a draw at Old Trafford.

Benítez rose to prominence as he won La Liga twice with Valencia as well as the Europa League. He moved to Liverpool in 2004 and won the Champions League in first season as the Reds came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties on a famous night in Istanbul.

He had an interim spell at Chelsea before taking over at Newcastle United in 2016 and led the club back into the Premier League as Championship winners in 2017. His most recent managerial spell was at Everton last season.

Benitez enjoyed a positive start at Goodison Park but after a poor run of form he was sacked in January 2022. Now he says he is open for a return to management and would prefer to remain in the Premier League.

“You need a project. I was lucky enough to manage a lot of teams and because I did that and won some trophies, I can say now ‘I don’t like this project, but I like this one,’” he said on Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Newcastle.

"I am fine and happy in England, in terms of the Premier League my family and everything. Sometimes you make decisions that are a risk but the reality is the Premier League is the best league in the world and I want to be around.

"You need a project that with all the experience that I and my staff have, we can use our experience to build something but the problem is the project can only be three weeks before there is pressure. So we need some time and the right project.”

It is unclear if Benitez will see Leeds as the right project after the Whites slipped into the relegation zone with a 1-0 loss against Everton on Saturday. Benitez was not an initial target for the Whites, who said their original shortlist contained candidates all currently in work.