Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is under consideration at Leicester City.

The Mirror says Claude Puel bought himself time at the King Power Stadium with successive surprise wins over high-flying Chelsea and champions Manchester City. But their shortcomings were exposed on Saturday by Cardiff City, who recorded their first away win all season.

The club's Thai owner, Top Srivaddhanaprabha, is known to be an admirer of Rafa Benitez — whose hopes of a takeover at ­current club Newcastle that could inject fresh January transfer funds are fading.

It means Puel is back on a tightrope at Leicester, where he has never fully won over fans despite leading the club to ninth last term.

Questions about his man-management, motivational skills and tactics persist — and he appears to have a fractured relationship with star striker Jamie Vardy.