Rafa Benitez is ready to take advantage of the uncertainty over the future of Pepe Reina at Liverpool by making a bid to take him to Napoli, the Daily Express reports.

The goalkeeper, 30, has seen his position at Anfield threatened by the £9 million arrival of Simon Mignolet from Sunderland while Benitez wants to reunite with the player he brought to Liverpool in the summer of 2005.

Napoli have stalled on signing QPR’s Julio Cesar on a season-long loan and are instead poised to target Reina as Benitez reshapes his squad following the sale of Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain.

Reina, one of Liverpool’s highest wage earners on £110,000 per week, has been given extended leave by the club after playing for Spain in the Confederations Cup. He is due to report back on Sunday for pre-season training when he is scheduled to fly out to Melbourne and join up with Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

Napoli, who can offer Champions League football, are keen to press ahead with a deal with current keeper Morgan De Sanctis bound for Roma.