Reading boss Jaap Stam is being lined up to replace Slaven Bilic as West Ham manager as pressure intensifies on the Croatian
The Hammers have been in awful form recently and have dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League after three consecutive losses
WEST HAM have identified Reading boss Jaap Stam as their number one target to replace Slaven Bilic.
A run of three consecutive losses has left the Hammers sliding down the table into 12th spot, intensifying the future surrounding the Croatian's job.
Co-chairman David Sullican publicly apologised to the fans after they succumbed to an agonising 3-2 defeat against Leicester City last week at the London Stadium.
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Their last victory came against Southampton at the start of February in which they won 3-1, and no wins in five games has left Bilic's future to be decided at the end of the season.
Stam - a legend at Manchester United who was part of the historic treble-winning campaign in 1998/99, has impressed since taking over the Royals last year.
He has guided them to fifth in the Sky Bet Championship - a remarkable turnaround after they finished 17th last season.
The 44-year-old has expressed his dissatisfaction after the proposed change in ownership fell through with a Chinese group.
Stam said: "I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future which I think is very important for myself and for the club.
“If you want to do something, you need to have a plan for what you eventually want to achieve.
“You need to know what you’re going to do with the team, the staff and the structure of the club."