But would he SERIOUSLY come to St James' Park to be Mike Ashley's YES MAN?
The former Anfield boss, who remains popular with many Reds fans, has refused to commit his future at Napoli beyond the end of this season.
Benitez reckons he has unfinished business in the Premier League and was prepared to take the flak of managing Chelsea during the 2012/13 season after the sacking of Roberto di Matteo.
The 54-year-old still has a house on the Wirral and his family enjoyed the lifestyle in England.
Benitez said: “I’ll speak about my future before the end of the season.
“For now, I want to stay focused on the present, and the games we have coming up.
“I have a good relationship with the players and the club so there’s still time to discuss the issue. When I leave Napoli, whether that’s in a year or five years, I want the team to be more mature.”
John Carver remains Newcastle’s interim boss until the end of the campaign after Alan Pardew’s departure to Crystal Palace and while the Geordie is keen to stay on at his home city club, a working party led by managing director Lee Charnley continues to assess the claims of a number of external candidates.
Benitez has previously spoken of his desire to return to the Premier League, and perhaps significantly, has refused to commit himself to Napoli beyond the end of the season.
Ajax boss Frank de Boer remains the preferred choice among Newcastle fans and the tight financial restrictions any manager would have to work with under Mike Ashley could prove unappealing for the Spaniard.