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They couldn't, could they?

According to the Daily Mail, Rafa Benitez is on a shortlist of replacements should Everton sack Roberto Martinez this summer.

That is, as long as Newcastle go down..

They believe that Benitez has been discussed by the Everton board, but have yet to make contact with the 56-year-old former Liverpool manager.

Benitez has committed to Newcastle should they stay in the Premier League, but if not he could, according to the Mail, be willing to talk to Everton because his family are still settled on the Wirral.

The pressure continues to mount on Martinez at Everton after a miserable Premier League campaign and defeats in the FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals.

Everton fans stayed behind after the win over Bournemouth to protest against the Spaniard, and many let him know how they felt after the game .

Elsewhere this morning, according to Guillem Balague, Everton turned down the chance to sign Atletico Madrid’s Champions League hero Saul Niguez some years back.

The young Spaniard scored the winner for Diego Simeone’s side against Bayern Munich in the semi-final first leg, but he could have been elsewhere, according to Spanish journalist Balague.

Balague explained: “Saul was offered to Everton when he was 18, and they said no, and he was offered to Manchester United a year-and-a-half ago and United decided not to go for him."

IN PICTURES: Players linked with a move to Everton