Former manager is expected to land a competing post, potentially leading to a West Brom reunion.

Slaven Bilic was in charge of West Brom in 2019, and he guided the club to Premier League promotion.

Slaven Bilic is the current frontrunner to fill Cardiff City’s vacant position. The former West Brom manager led Albion from summer 2019 to winter 2020, guiding the team to the Premier League via automatic promotion.

The Croatian footballer spent time in China before returning to England and joining Watford in 2022. He played against Carlos Corberan’s Baggies at Vicarage Road, where the Hornets won 3-2. Bilic did not finish the season with Watford, instead returning to Saudi Arabia to coach Al-Fateh.

He was fired, however, in August, just days before the new season began, due to ‘disagreements in strategy’. This was despite Al-Fateh’s seventh-place result in the Saudi Pro League last season. Bilic is currently seeking a new career and considering returning to the UK.

As of now, he is the favourite to succeed sacked Erol Bulut in the Welsh capital; the club is bottom of the Championship, having won only one of their first nine games, though they have taken four points from their last two games under interim manager Omer Riza, who is second favourite. Steven Schumacher, Ryan Lowe, and Michael Beale, all fired managers, are all under consideration.

If Bilic takes over, he will inherit Callum Robinson, who joined on loan from Sheffield United at the end of January 2020, the morning after Bilic’s Albion lost 2-1 to Cardiff. He has two goals this season, including a superb strike in the South Wales derby tie with Swansea City.

If Bilic is hired soon, he may be able to reunite with former teammates at The Hawthorns. Albion host the Bluebirds at The Hawthorns on Saturday, October 25, after the start of the domestic calendar.

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