Slaven Bilic has been heavily linked with a return to West Ham as speculation continues to rage regarding a potential change in the dugout.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been under sustained pressure after a dire run of form of late, and the home defeat to Nottingham Forest in their last league outing served as a crushing blow to their survival hopes.

Nuno’s position at West Ham is under huge scrutiny, and he is still firmly among the favourites to be the next Premier League boss to lose his job in the coming weeks.

Bilic has been away from Premier League management since he was sacked by West Brom back in 2020, but that could soon be about to change.

Michael Carrick latest leaves Slaven Bilic as main West Ham candidate

Football Insider revealed after the Forest defeat that Nuno is not on the brink of losing his job at West Ham, despite the frustrating loss leaving the team seven points adrift of safety.

Nevertheless, that is unlikely to do little to prevent speculation swirling regarding his future if results fail to improve in the coming weeks, especially with the likes of Bilic waiting in the wings.

Bilic is a strong candidate for the West Ham job in the eyes of the bookmakers, with only former Hammers midfielder Michael Carrick priced at shorter odds than him of late.

However, it now looks increasingly unlikely that the East Londoners would be able to land Carrick in the event of Nuno’s dismissal, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that talks are “advancing” regarding the possibility of him taking over at Manchester United.

The Red Devils are set to announce a new manager this week, and with Carrick “hopeful” of getting the job, Bilic is sure to be licking his lips.

With his main rival for the West Ham job likely to no longer be an option for David Sullivan and Co., it could leave him with a clear path if his former club opt to sack Nuno soon.

Slaven Bilic is perfect for a short-term West Ham stay

West Ham fans are open to the idea of Bilic returning to the club, and it’s hard to argue against the suggestion that he’d be an ideal fit for them on a short-term basis.

The Croatian is unlikely to be the sort of manager that Sullivan and the hierarchy will want to lead the club forward in the long term, but he is the ideal candidate to help instil the sort of fight that will be needed for the remainder of their relegation battle.

Bilic’s managerial record at West Ham, as per Transfermarkt.Bilic is known for being a strong motivator, and he should be capable of restoring a little pride in the shirt throughout the squad.

With that in mind, he could be an ideal option to lead West Ham until the end of the season, purely with the view of helping them to secure their place in the top-flight for another year.

The club would then have the option of potentially extending that deal if things had gone well, but also wouldn’t be tied to an initial commitment.

There is even the possibility that Carrick could then become available once again in the summer, with United likely to prioritise a big-name appointment long-term.