Report claims Rafa Benitez has doubts over the ambition of West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold

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Rafa Benitez has been hotly linked with replacing Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham United.

West Ham’s season has spiralled out of control with no wins in eight.

The Hammers have plummeted from third to 17th in just two months.

Benitez, currently with struggling Chinese outfit Dalian Yifang, has been heavily linked with the West Ham hotseat of late (Daily Mail).

In fact the former Liverpool and Newcastle boss has been persistently linked with the Hammers in the last few years.

Benitez came close to becoming West Ham boss in 2015.

Pellegrini on the brink, Benitez linked

Benitez revealed how he came “close” to taking over as manager of West Ham before an 11th hour call from Real Madrid in 2015 (The Mirror).

And the links to Benitez carry some weight after past comments from West Ham co-owner David Sullivan.

The divisive West Ham chief told The Sun in 2016 that he came within two hours of announcing Benitez as Hammers manager. As most West Ham fans know a late call from Real Madrid scuppered those plans.

But it is Sullivan’s public comments on Benitez that have become very relevant all of a sudden as the new speculation intensifies.

Sullivan a big fan of Rafa as gaffer

“We were two hours from getting Benitez and then Real came in,” Sullivan told The Sun during the days where he seemed to discuss West Ham’s business in public on a weekly basis.

“We had agreed a contract and everything.

“Benitez is a top manager whatever anybody says and I think he’d have done a wonderful job for us.”

The Spaniard only last six months at Real.

But a new report from Football Insider claims a new move for Benitez throws up old problems as the Spaniard has reservations over the club’s ambition.

Benitez unconvinced by West Ham ambition

Football Insider claims a West Ham source has told them the hierarchy have ‘great admiration for Benitez and are keen to sound him out again after two previous attempts in the past’.

It appears the feeling is not mutual, though.

The report adds that the real hurdle to West Ham appointing Benitez is Sullivan and Gold convincing him of their ambition.

“The source explained that (previously) Benitez was left feeling the club are not able to tempt him with the terms he wants,” Football Insider claims.