Football Insider have revealed that Rafael Benitez has told close friends that he wants to become Everton's next manager.

Benitez has recently held talks with the Toffees about replacing Carlo Ancelotti, but it has been claimed that he was ready to walk away from negotiations last weekend after facing a fierce backlash from the club's supporters when it emerged that he was a leading candidate for the job.

However, he appears to have had a change of heart, and he is now prepared to accept Everton's offer to become the club's new boss.

Why has there been such a major backlash to Benitez's potential appointment at Everton?

The 61-year-old is not particularly popular on the blue side of Merseyside due to his association with the team's biggest rivals, Liverpool.

Benitez spent six years managing the Reds between 2004 and 2010, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup during this time.

He also sparked controversy when he referred to Everton as a "small club" back in 2007 following a 0-0 draw at Anfield. His comments did not go down well with Everton fans, although he has since admitted that the remark was "a mistake".

Has Benitez overcome a backlash from supporters before?

If Benitez does take the Everton job, it seems that he will face an uphill battle to convince supporters that he deserves the position. He has overcome a similar obstacle before, though.

Back in November 2012, Benitez was appointed Chelsea manager on a short-term deal. Having had some huge clashes against the Blues in the Champions League in previous years with Liverpool, Benitez was not given a warm welcome by the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Despite this, he went on to do a fine job in west London, guiding the side to third place in the  Premier League while also winning the Europa League, meaning that he was able to leave Chelsea in June 2013 with his head held high.

Could he win Everton's fans over?

Even though he delivered Chelsea another European trophy during his time at the helm, Benitez was still not hugely popular by the end of his stint in charge, but he was respected for the job he had done. Perhaps he would have to settle for a similar scenario at Everton. 

Given his long-standing links with Liverpool, it is difficult to see how Everton's fanbase would suddenly be able to take to Benitez.

However, if the Spanish coach can lead the side back into Europe, and get the team playing exciting football, he may be able to earn the respect of the Goodison Park crowd over time.