He’s done it once but would Slaven Bilic leave West Ham United for Everton this summer if given the chance.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
The Hammers have been dragging their heels over awarding Bilic a new contract despite reports to the contrary when he helped turn what was threatening to be a disastrous season around after Christmas, as reported by the likes of the Daily Mail.
West Ham’s form has dipped of late and they are without a win in four including back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Bournemouth.
While they are highly unlikely to be involved in the relegation mix, realistically the highest the Hammers can hope to finish is eighth or ninth.
Bilic led West Ham to their best ever Premier League points total and first positive goal difference since 1986 in his debut season last term.
The Hammers took a number of notable scalps along the way and bid a memorable farewell to the Boleyn Ground with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Manchester United.
This season has been a different story entirely, though, with West Ham bowing out of the Europa League in qualifying and the FA Cup and EFL Cup with heavy defeats.
The majority of fans are behind Bilic and believe he has not been backed enough in the transfer market by co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold who promised big, marquee signings last summer and failed to deliver.
West Ham United owners David Gold and David Sullivan
It has been suggested Sullivan and Gold risk losing their manager to a more ambitious project if they continue to drag their heels over a new contract.
And should Ronald Koeman join his old club Barcelona as Luis Enrique’s replacement this summer – as reports in the likes of The Express have suggested – the former Croatia boss is likely to be near the top of the Toffees’ wish list.
Bilic spent just one season as a West Ham player under Harry Redknapp, leaving for Everton in the summer of 1997 because they were a “bigger club”.
That switch caused a furore from the moment Redknapp went public although Bilic was adamant his conduct was loyal, as reported by the Express.
Would Bilic be tempted to replace Ronald Koeman at Everton if the Dutchman departs for Barca?
The job he has done with the Hammers and the fact he was a cult hero at Goodison Park as a player would be attractive to all concerned.
And given the level of ambition being shown by new Everton owner Farhad Moshiri compared to that of Sullivan and Gold, Bilic could be forced to make the decision to leave East London for Merseyside for the second time in his football career.
If ambition alone is not enough to sway Bilic, then there is the fact he has to endure Sullivan’s penchant for doing much of his business in the public eye.
Just last week the co-owner took to the club’s official website to criticise the manager and the team declaring their performances ‘not good enough’.
Sullivan conducts much of his business very publicly
It is the kind of high profile public outburst you simply don’t see at many other football clubs where owners rarely speak in the media and it must be a distraction at times.
The suggestion is very much dependent on Koeman landing one of the top jobs in world football and it would undoubtedly raise the ugly question of which club is bigger between the Hammers and the Toffees.
But there is no denying Everton look to be operating on a different level to West Ham under Moshiri, despite the fact the East Londoners have the second most season ticket holders in the Premier League this season behind Manchester United with 52,000 at their new Olympic Stadium home.
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