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Juventus hand Benitez ultimatum - Reports

Rafa Benitez has cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at Liverpool this season © Getty Images

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Juventus have given Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez a ten-day deadline to decide if he wants to take charge of the Serie A giants next season.

Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, dismissed reports that he met with Juve president Jean-Claude Blanc in Milan on Monday, but his client remains top of the Bianconeri's wanted list.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Juventus remain "90%" confident of landing their man and widespread reports on Wednesday claim that a meeting between the two parties did take place.

Liverpool, currently lying in sixth place in the Premier League, are likely to miss out on Champions League football following a hugely disappointing season and are not expected to fight off any approach for Benitez.

Juventus have endured a similarly poor season and are under the stewardship of their second manager this year since sacking Claudio Ranieri, now leading Serie A with AS Roma, in May.

Alberto Zaccheroni replaced Ciro Ferrara in Turin and will guide the club through to the end of the season, but not beyond. Whoever replaces Zaccheroni could be handed transfer funds of around £70 million.

Such a transfer budget may prove hugely alluring to Benitez, who has consistently complained about not having enough money to spend at Anfield.

"We have been wheeling and dealing for six years but, if we continue to do that, it will be very difficult to stay at the level everyone is expecting," Benitez reiterated last week.

Meanwhile, Spanish daily Marca have been tipping Benitez to take over at Real Madrid for next season and the Liverpool boss was voted the favourite to succeed Manuel Pellegrini in a poll by the newspaper .

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.