Rafael Benitez on the verge of leaving liverpool!!

Thanks to bbc sport for this...

Reds manager Rafael Benitez on verge of Liverpool exit

Benitez's Liverpool struggled for form during the 2009/10 season Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is on the verge of leaving the club, BBC Sport understands. Benitez will be offered a multi-million pound severance deal to quit Anfield and could depart by the weekend. The Spaniard, 50, signed a five-year contract in March 2009, but failed to deliver success last season as the club missed out on a Champions League place. Liverpool are £351m in debt and were put up for sale by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett earlier this year. The American pair's ownership of the Reds has drawn protests from Liverpool fans, who are unhappy with the way the club is being run. Now news of Benitez's impending departure will inevitably lead to question marks over the futures of several key players. Captain Steven Gerrard, star forward Fernando Torres and Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano have all recently being linked with summer moves elsewhere. BBC sports news correspondent Dan Roan said Benitez was "certain to leave" Liverpool. "The board are in discussions with the manager about him leaving immediately," said Roan. "A severance deal has been offered to Benitez and it is worth significantly more than the £3m that has been reported - he is entitled to £16m as a result of the contract he signed last year." "Benitez is currently on holiday but if he decides to accept their offer he could be out by the weekend." Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, said he would speaking to the former Valencia boss on Thursday, adding: "We don't know anything more than what's being said. We're not saying anything." Benitez has been linked to Italian giants Inter Milan, who are looking for a coach following Jose Mourinho's move to Real Madrid. Liverpool have refused to comment on the future of their manager. "The club are concerned that details being leaked out could undermine the severance deal," added Roan. "Significantly, no replacement has so far been approached, but that process is sure to begin shortly." Academy director Kenny Dalglish, who won three league titles as manager at Anfield between 1985 and 1991, is believed to have been lined up as an interim replacement. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson and Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill mentioned as potential targets to take over in the long-term. Benitez replaced Gerard Houllier at Anfield in June 2004 and enjoyed a successful start to his tenure as Liverpool won the Champions League the following season. But they could only finish seventh in the Premier League last term despite finishing as runners-up to Manchester United the previous season. As well as the Champions League triumph, Benitez also steered Liverpool to the European Super Cup in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006. But the inconsistency of last season, where they lost 11 times in the league and exited the Champions League in the group stages, seems to have been a turning point. Benitez had suggested he would require in excess of £50m to put the club back in contention for Champions League qualification, let alone the Premier League title, while co-owner Hicks recently said the Spaniard would have a "substantial" transfer budget this summer. However, Benitez looks destined to leave, despite telling the Liverpool Echo recently that he wanted to stay at Anfield "for a long time".