Espanyol are set to replace outgoing Coach Rubi with Quique Setien in an effective swap deal with Real Betis, claim El Mundo Deportivo.
It is claimed that the former Las Palmas boss, who left Betis this month, is now the favourite at the Catalan club to replace Rubi – who insists he wants to replace Setien at Los Verdiblancos.
Setien was appointed at Betis at the start of the 2017-18 campaign, leading them to a 6th-place finish – their highest since 2005, and a return to European football for the first time in five seasons.
However, the Andalusian club suffered a sharp downturn in form in the final six months of his stint and only secured a top-half finish on the final day of the campaign.
Setien led Betis to victories at Barcelona, Real Madrid and Milan this season, alongside defeating Atletico Madrid.
Betis are set to pay Espanyol €900k to complete the operation and will improve his wage, but the Seville-based club are reportedly trying to lower this sum.
It is said that Espanyol are irritated by the Coach’s attitude during the negotiation process and he reportedly is demanding his compensation for guiding the club into Europe before his departure.
Rubi led Huesca to promotion from the second tier for the first time in the club’s history in 2018 but subsequently moved to the RCDE Stadium.
The success continued for the 49-year-old last season as he returned the Catalan club to European football for the first time in over a decade.
Espanyol went unbeaten through their last nine matches of the season, including winning each of their last three, to clinch seventh place and a return to the Europa League.
