West Ham, Slaven Bilic update hands Ipswich Town potential boost | OneFootball

West Ham United could soon be on the search for a new manager

Ipswich Town have been handed a boost in their hopes to keep manager Kieran McKenna, with West Ham United reportedly looking at re-uniting with Slaven Bilic.

The Tractor Boys have started Championship life in mixed fashion, picking up just three points from their opening four league encounters.

After using the international break as a period to reset, the Suffolk outfit got back to winning ways in emphatic style, dispatching Sheffield United 5-0 to announce their promotion intentions to the rest of the division.

Recently, rumours emerged that McKenna was spotted in West Ham United’s boardroom during their 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, which coincides with a growing sense that current Hammers boss Graham Potter could be relieved of his duties.

The East London outfit have started their 2025/26 Premier League campaign in dire fashion, losing three out of their first four matches without much of a fight.

Potter’s side have conceded 10 goals across these three defeats, scoring just once, which highlights how poorly they are currently performing.

McKenna is one of the favourites to potentially take over at the London Stadium, which coupled with his reported appearance in the West Ham boardroom, will come as terrible news for Ipswich supporters.

However, following a recent update, they feel slightly more confident about keeping McKenna at Portman Road.

Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United link may boost Ipswich Town’s chances of keeping Kieran McKenna

McKenna was heavily linked with a switch to take over Brentford during the summer but that move never materialised. It did show that Premier League clubs were keeping tabs on the Northern Irish manager however, which isn’t what Ipswich Town wanted to hear.

With West Ham United potentially looking for a new boss, a feeling of déjà vu could’ve started creeping around the walls at Portman Road. However, a recent update on the situation may have handed the Tractor Boys’ faithful a huge boost.

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook via X, Slaven Bilic is now a contender to take over from Potter at the London Stadium.

The 57-year-old previously managed the Hammers from 2015 to 2017, guiding them to a seventh-place finish in the top-flight, which ultimately qualified the club for Europa League football.

Bilic’s previous experience of coaching West Ham perhaps puts him in better stead when compared to McKenna, who would need time to learn on the job.

This makes the Croat a more attractive option for David Sullivan, which will be music to the ears of Ipswich Town supporters.

Kieran McKenna would benefit more from staying at Ipswich Town

Although the prospect of taking a job in the Premier League is enticing, it may not be McKenna’s best bet in the long term.

West Ham have looked dire so far this season and there is no guarantee that he would be able to do a better job than Potter.

If they were relegated, McKenna would likely face the sack, which isn’t a prospect he would want to entertain.

Instead, he could continue the project he has built with Ipswich Town and try and take them back up to the top-flight.