Stunning News: Agent claims LFC legend 'will return to Liverpool' and replace Rodgers

During Liverpool's poor early-season form, Rafa Benitez emerged as a 5-1 favourite to replace Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, and at the time, a lot of Reds fans were wildly in favour of the change. Rodgers has turned things around since then, but according to one agent, Benitez is on course for a stunning return to Anfield this summer.

Benitez has reportedly rejected a new contract at Napoli, and speaking to Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato this week, FIFA agent Jose Alberti claimed:

"He [Benitez] he will return to England in three months. His mind is already there. He will return to Liverpool and he wants to get back to winning. He is ideal for the Premier League."

It should be noted that Alberti is *not* Benitez's agent. Manuel Garcia Quilon represents the Spaniard, so I don't see how this statement is authoritative. Perhaps Alberti has some inside information, who knows.

The fact that Benitez wants to return to Liverpool at some point is beyond dispute, though. Last season, he emphatically told reporters:

"I know I will return to Liverpool as coach one day, almost certainly. What I don’t know is when but my wife and children still live there, so I will be back".

Soon after, Benitez he made it clear yet again (albeit indirectly) that he'd love a return to Liverpool. He told CalcioMercato:

“My family is distant, my wife and my two daughters live in Liverpool. It’s the first time that they are not with me and it’s not easy. De Laurentiis knows very well how important the value of the family is.”".

In November, I conducted a poll on the site asking whether Benitez is a good choice to replace Rodgers:

* 16200 visitors (approx) participated in the poll.
* 81% of fans voted YES for a Benitez return.

If Brendan Rodgers gets the red card, Benitez will inevitably be positioned as a major contender for the job. I strongly advocated his departure in 2009, and I maintain it was the right decision to move him on at that time.

However, five years have passed, which is plenty of time to reflect on his initial six-year tenure, and given his nature, I'm sure Benitez has exhaustively analysed where he went wrong, and how he can improve things the second time around.

As such, he'd probably make a better Liverpool manager now, and despite being one of his biggest detractors, I'd tentatively support Benitez's return to Anfield.

Football opinions should not be inflexible to the point of extreme intransigence; people change, learn, and, most importantly, grow, and with his experiences over the last five years, Benitez - described by Gary Monk in September as an 'inspiring' manager - remains a realistic candidate for the Liverpool job.

Just to clarify: Benitez is not my preferred choice to take over from Rodgers, nor do I expect FSG to make a chance in the summer. I'm merely stating that if Rodgers leaves, and Benitez is given him another chance in the Anfield hot-seat, I won't be too disappointed.

Nothing is certain at Liverpool, though. Rodgers is doing well right now, but things change very quickly, and a few bad results is all it takes for the knives to come out.

Just look at the first half of the season - fans were calling for Rodgers' head left, right, and centre, and if LFC start next season in a similar fashion, the same thing will happen again.

Benitez clearly has unfinished business at Liverpool, and it feels like he is destined to return at some stage, but I can't see that happening this summer.

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Author: Jaimie K