Sullivan: ‘Bilic asked for £30m transfer kitty’

West Ham Chairman, David Sullivan has told Sky Sports that Slaven Bilic asked for a £30m transfer kitty when he interviewed him for the West Ham Manager role four or five years ago before he appointed Avram Grant.

Sullivan told Sky “I interviewed Slaven (Bilic), four or five years ago and he wouldn’t come unless we gave him £30m to spend at the time. He was my first choice four or five years ago and we saw three or four people before we appointed Avram (Grant)”

“He was my first choice then so I remembered that, this time around it’s common knowledge we tried to get a very high level of managers with vast experience and one of them went to Real Madrid, he had agreed everything with us and Real Madrid came in. We therefore went to the best of the rest and Slaven was the best of the rest”

“We were two hours away from appointing Rafa but Real Madrid came in, everything was agreed, we had an agreed contract, I am big believer that what ever happens, happens. He is a top manager despite what anyone says and I think he would have done a wonderful job for us. We tried Klopp as well, he said at the time, he wouldn’t come as he needed a break. it’s wrong to name people really, we aimed very, very high but I am glad with the manager we have got”  

David Sullivan was speaking at an event to publicise the release of a film he has produced called ‘The Fall of the Krays’. The follow-up to ‘The Rise of the Krays’ is released in cinemas and for download on 1 January.