SLAVEN BILIC would be open to a shock West Ham return should the club decide to sack Graham Potter.
The Hammers have endured a rotten start to the season and pressure is mounting on both Potter and the board.
Ahead of Saturday's London derby with Crystal Palace, where fan protests are planned, the club published a bizarre near 1,400-word statement which offered scant backing for their manager, who replaced Julen Lopetegui in January.
However, senior figures insist they remain 100 per cent behind the former Chelsea manager - though they expect results to pick up.
West Ham sit in the relegation zone with one win and four defeats from their opening four Premier League games.
Potter's position will be at risk if he cannot turn the tide ahead of the next international break, with some internally already pushing for a change to be made.
Should Potter be axed, Bilic has been suggested to figures at the club as a potential replacement.
Bilic, the former Hammers player, spent more than two years in charge in East London before being axed in November 2017 and would been seen as a caretaker appointment.
The Croatian has since managed West Brom and Watford, among others, with his most recent job being with Saudi side Al Fateh.
Bilic is understood to be open to a return to West Ham, but has been presented with other offers as well.
Sean Dyche and Nuno Espirito Santo, both out of work, would also be considered.
In Bilic's first season in charge at West Ham, he guided the Hammers to a seventh-place finish, qualifying for the early rounds of the Europa League.
The campaign was the club's final season at the historic Boleyn Ground before their move to the London Stadium.
Bilic did benefit from an inspired summer signing of Dimitri Payet from Marseille.
The Frenchman's world-class performances saw him nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
However, the free-kick maestro fell out with the club and forced an exit back to Ligue 1 in January 2017.
The Hammers finished 11th in his second season before the former defender was replaced with David Moyes in the first half of his third season in charge with the club 18th in the Premier League.
Potter has won just six of his 24 games in charge of the Hammers.
This leaves the manager with a win rate of just 27.3% which betters only Avram Grant's 18.9% record at the club during the Prem era.
He will have the chance to improve his record on Saturday as Palace visit East London.
The Hammers then have tricky away fixtures against Everton and Arsenal before facing Brentford and Leeds.