Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has emerged as a potential target for crisis club Real Madrid again.

While Manuel Pellegrini has been given two games to save his job, Benitez is thought to be one of several names on the Real shortlist.

Benitez, who was a youth coach at Real, has not been on good terms with Liverpool's owners and his job was threatened by a recent run of poor results.

According to The Daily Mail, last season Real had wanted to sign Carlo Ancelotti who chose Chelsea and Arsene Wenger who chose to stay at Arsenal.

The others on the shortlist include former Real and Barca forward Michael Laudrup and Marco van Basten. The 71-year-old former Spain manager Luis Aragones is the hot favourite. Reports from Italy have linked former Inter coach Roberto Mancini to the Real hotseat.

If Real do choose to sack Pellegrini, it will cost Madrid about £10million in compensation.

According the UK paper Perez has sought more patience from the Real supporters.

'I would like to send a message to calm the fans,' he said.

'We have to remember that a lot of new players arrived before the start of the season and this requires a period of adaptation.

'The season is only two months old and we are still trying to create a team.'