Benitez tops West Ham wanted list

WEST HAM are to step up their bid to land Rafa Benitez after deciding he is their first choice to replace Sam Allardyce. Allardyce, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will take charge for what is expected to be his final home game, against Everton at Upton Park today. Former Liverpool boss Benitez is seen by the West Ham board as the man to lead the club into the Olympic Stadium in 2017. The cub are aware that Benitez, who is set to leave Napoli, is likely to consider other options, and want to move quickly to try to convince the Spaniard he should commit to them. They also believe that cup specialist Benitez, who took Napoli to the semi-final of the Europa League before being knocked out by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Thursday, can help them challenge for honours. Allardyce has taken West Ham to mid-table this season after they fell away following a promising start which took them into the top four. When asked about his future, he told the EveningStandard: ‘From my point of view, when I see name after name being mentioned as my possible successor, I think perhaps there’s no smoke without fire. ‘Maybe the owners are considering their options, maybe they’re not. The fact is I’m not in a position of demanding when we sit down and talk about a new contract.’ West Ham are expected to hold talks with Benitez (below) before deciding their next move. Any encouragement and they will open the coffers for 55-year-old Benitez, who has been on their wanted list for some time but gave no sign last summer that he would join them. David Moyes has ruled himself out of the running and West Ham believe Slaven Bilic, their former defender, is too much of a risk as he has no experience managing in the Premier League, even though he would be a popular choice with fans. Allardyce has told his players not to tread softly against Everton, regardless of the consequences in a fixture that has been called the ‘Fair Play-off’. West Ham are second in the Fair Play table, a place beneath Liverpool who are likely to qualify for Europe via their league placing, while Everton are third. That means today’s game will go a long way to deciding who lands the Europa League spot. But Allardyce is adamant his side will place greater emphasis on gaining the win that would take them to his target of

50 points.