Keith Olbermann lobbied MSNBC executives to bring him back to the left-leaning cable network and replace Chris Hayes in primetime, according to a report.

Olbermann made the pitch in a February 2020 email correspondence with Jeff Shell, the CEO of NBCUniversal, the Comcast-owned media conglomerate whose portfolio includes MSNBC.

In the email, which was first reported by Puck News (paywall), Olbermann urged Shell to consider reviving “Countdown,” the primetime news program that the former ESPN SportsCenter anchor hosted during the post-Iraq War presidency of George W. Bush.

Olbermann was fired by MSNBC over a decade ago, ending a tumultuous relationship that included suspensions and public dustups.

Olbermann told Shell that while MSNBC was financially healthy due to the success of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” its ratings during the 8 p.m. hour hosted by Hayes were suffering.

“There’s only one conclusion to be drawn: MSNBC is woefully underperforming in prime time,” Olbermann wrote.

“And, while it is hidden by the amount of money [‘The Rachel Maddow Show’] makes for you, the current 8pm hour is the cause.”

Olbermann added: “In conclusion, to twist the marvelous line from ‘Chinatown,’ your 8 p.m. show is dying of thirst during a flood.”

A spokesperson for MSNBC told The Post: “There was never any serious consideration of Keith Olbermann returning.”

Olbermann offered to take a relatively lower base salary, though he insisted on incentives and bonuses in his contract that would kick in if his show delivered the ratings he had promised, according to Puck News.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Olbermann was in talks with Shell and Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal’s news division, about possibly returning to host a show during Maddow’s 9 p.m. time slot.

When Maddow learned that Olbermann was angling for her gig, she reportedly stepped in and vetoed the idea, according to the Daily Beast.

“I offered to have her production company ‘produce’ the show. Would give her some proxy control and a f–kton of money but she and [former MSNBC boss-turned-consultant to Maddow’s production company] Phil Griffin refused,” Olbermann told the Daily Beast, claiming that the network also offered him a show in 2016.

“I do not expect to continue negotiations with the successors to this management team,” he added.

“Management is worse than asleep at the switch.”

Staffers have been panicking under new network president Rashida Jones, who has yet to name a replacement for Maddow, who recently signed a massive $30 million deal to work less and transition out of her nightly broadcast.

Olbermann, who was once Maddow’s mentor, was canned from MSNBC in 2011 after his relationship with Griffin reportedly became strained.

In the 8 p.m. cable news ratings race, Hayes’ show, “All In,” has consistently lagged behind Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, though it has outperformed Anderson Cooper’s program on CNN.