Jurgen Klinsmann is favourite for Rafa Benitez's job at Liverpool.

The Daily Mail says Klinsmann can count on influential support within Anfield if owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett decide to sack Rafa Benitez in the wake of weekend claims that the Spaniard fears he will be axed at the end of the season.

Liverpool's American owners, in particular Gillett, see the German as an ideal choice should they finally run out of patience with Benitez over what is being viewed as more agitating by the former Valencia coach.

Although the widely reported quotes about his misgivings were not attributed to him, the manager's attempts to distance himself from them have been called into question in Anfield circles.

If Gillett and Hicks conclude that he was instrumental in causing more turmoil behind the scenes, it could hasten his departure when the pair meet chief executive Rick Parry today to discuss his increasingly precarious position.