West Ham will turn to long-term target Rafa Benitez if they lose patience with under-fire Manuel Pellegrini.
The 59-year-old Spaniard who almost succeeded Sam Allardyce in the summer of 2015 is currently in charge of Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang.
Although he is earning £12million a year in the Far East it’s believed that if the Hammers came calling for a second time Benitez would listen with interest.
Pellegrini has come under pressure, a morale sapping 3-0 defeat at Burnley in the last match before the international break, stretching a worrying winless sequence to six games.
He will still be in charge when the Premier League resumes after the international break for Saturday’s visit of Spurs.
The Hammers board, after backing Pellegrini in the transfer market, were expecting a challenge for a top six place this campaign instead of a battle against relegation.
If he fails to arrest the slump then the Chilean will pay the price and the club will make their move for Benitez.
Benitez was on the verge of accepting the job in 2015 only for Real Madrid to come calling at the 11th hour.
Although he insists he is enjoying life in China he is away from his Merseyside based family and has admitted his work in the Premier League is not done following his departure in the summer from Newcastle United.
"In the future I will come back to England, my family is there," he told BBC Radio 5 Live last week.
"I am happy, it is not like I would like to go back right now.
"But in the future, yes. At the moment I am working hard here."
