Rafa Benitez was two hours away from being appointed West Ham United’s new manager, according to the Hammers’ co-owner David Sullivan.
Benitez had been heavily linked with the West Ham post in the summer but eventually returned to Real Madrid, where he replaced Carlo Ancelotti, and Sullivan claims his club were pipped to the post by Los Blancos.
“We were two hours from getting [Rafa] Benitez and then Real came in. We had agreed a contract and everything,” he told Reuters.
“He is a top manager whatever anybody says and I think he’d have done a wonderful job for us.
“We tried [Jurgen] Klopp as well but he wouldn’t come because he said he wanted a break. But I’m glad with the manager we have got.”
