Former Liverpool and Everton coach Rafael Benitez could return to the English Premier League after Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly identified him as a potential candidate to replace embattled Steve Cooper.

Cooper’s position as Forest coach has been in doubt for a number of weeks amid behind-the-scenes tensions.

Forest, who signed twenty-three new players in the summer transfer window, find themselves on the bottom of the table with only four points from eight games.

According to the Mail, the club owner has started the process of identifying candidates to replace Cooper.

And Benitez is leading the options along with ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche.

Both coaches are not attached to any club at the moment.

Benitez’s recent job was with Everton, who sacked him in January, while Dyche left Burnley in April.