West Ham United are “happy to lose” Nottingham Forest target Sam Byram this summer.
But the defender could be “a prime candidate to join up with” former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic at West Bromwich Albion, according to Football London.
The Reds are keen to bring Byram back to the City Ground following a successful loan spell last season.
Injury restricted him to just eight appearances, but the 25-year-old impressed in the Garibaldi when he did get on the pitch and he is understood to be Forest’s preferred option to provide competition for Tendayi Darikwa at right-back.
Byram is down the pecking order at West Ham, with Ryan Fredericks and Pablo Zabaleta ahead of him, as well as, potentially, teenager Ben Johnson.
Football London suggest the Premier League side may wish to move him on this summer.
And they speculate that if Bilic, who has recently taken up the managerial reins at The Hawthorns, is looking to raid his old club for new signings, Byram could potentially do a job.
They write: “Another player that the Hammers are happy to lose this summer, Byram is a prime candidate to join up with his former boss at West Ham in his new job.
“Byram suffered a serious knee injury while on loan at Nottingham Forest last season but returned to help them keep three clean sheets in a row at the end of the season, and manager Martin O’Neill would like to sign Byram again.
“The right-back is way down the pecking order in east London, behind Ryan Fredericks, Pablo Zabaleta and youngster Ben Johnson as it stands.
“If Bilic could take him off West Ham’s hands it’ll probably suit both parties.”
