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Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been mooted as possible replacement for Arsenal boss Unai Emery, if he’s given the bullet by the London club.
Pressure is building on Emery after Arsenal let a two-goal lead slip at the Emirates on Sunday against Palace, a result which leaves them 5th in the Premier League, 4 points off Chelsea and Leicester and 12 points behind leaders Liverpool after 9 games.
Although many observers wouldn’t say Arsenal are in any way experiencing a crisis, it would appear that Arsenal supporters aren’t feeling the football that is currently on display. A top-four finish is a must for Emery after missing out on Champions League football this season.
It sounds as though the Arsenal board will give Emery time to try and do his thing, but there are claims that the Gunners are already looking at possible replacements should they opt to make a change in the summer. Rafa’s name has already cropped up, as too has another former Liverpool manager in Brendan Rodgers.
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Rafa is currently boss of Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Yifang who were hammered 3-0 by Shanghai SIPG at the weekend. That result left Dalian Yifang at 10th (from 16 teams) in the division. Although that may not appear impressive, the club was facing relegation when Rafa was appointed mid-season after leaving Newcastle United. 5 wins and a draw in his first 7 league games saw them climb to safety.
The Chinese Super League ends on November 30th and there are suggestions that Rafa may have a clause in his contract that would allow him to return to England or to another European country if a significant job offer came in.