West Ham are in for a shock as former boss David Moyes targets an unbelievable reunion at Everton.
David Moyes may have left West Ham almost a year-and-a-half ago now but he is still a regular topic of conversation in east London since taking over at Everton.
The Scot will always be fondly remembered for the wonderful job he did over two spells at West Ham – just as he is emulating now in his second coming at Everton.
Moyes’ style of play and approach continues to divide opinion.
The Toffees boss could still be at West Ham now had things not turned sour when he was in negotiations over a new long-term contract.
Moyes was not happy with two elements of a new deal presented to him by Hammers chief David Sullivan.
Fallouts saw Moyes leave West Ham and end up back at Everton
Firstly that his son, David junior, was being removed from the recruitment team and secondly that then technical director Tim Steidten would replace Moyes in having full control of transfers.
Moyes and the German had endured a spiky relationship in their only season together.
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Sullivan then withdrew the contract offer and tasked Steidten with finding a replacement for Moyes.
A number of high-profile interviews with other managers – most famously Ruben Amorim – ensued while Moyes was trying to arrest an alarming slide which saw West Ham win just five games in his final six months in charge.
Moyes ended up banning Steidten from being near the first team after an almighty falling out over the public way he was speaking to other managers.
The Scot departed at the end of his contract while Steidten spent £155m on signings.
Technical director Tim Steidten ahead of West Ham United FC v Aston Villa FC - Premier League
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Six months later, the German was out of a job and Moyes was back in the Premier League at Everton.
There was one deal that proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back between Moyes and Steidten, a move which many believe sealed the parting of the ways.
So West Ham jaws will drop at who Moyes wants a reunion with at Everton.
Going into January last year, West Ham were sat in the top six – one win off the Champions League spots – and were making another deep run in the Europa League.
But tensions grew at the club over targets for January transfers.
With the likes of Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals being let go, West Ham needed fresh blood to continue their push for a fourth consecutive season in Europe.
West Ham jaws will drop at who Moyes wants reunion with at Everton
Moyes and Steidten simply could not agree on any mutual targets and in the end the Scot, using the power of veto on all transfers, pushed to sign Kalvin Phillips on loan from Man City.
Most West Ham fans wanted to see the club go out and sign a forward or two.
Steidten reportedly pushed back against the deal while he tried to sign the likes of Jota. But the technical director was forced to back the Phillips move publicly.
It proved to be one of the most disastrous signings in West Ham’s history and Phillips has gone down in Hammers folklore for all the wrong reasons.
Irons fans could have been forgiven for thinking they’d been the victims of a prank when they signed Phillips on loan.
That’s how bad his short stay in east London proved to be.
David Moyes brings Kalvin Phillips coming on as a substitute in a season-defining West Ham defeat at Newcastle
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
But despite that, Moyes now wants to reunite with Phillips at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in January.
BBC Sport has repeated claims from another site that Everton have started the ball rolling on a move for Phillips in January.
The midfielder did not secure a Man City exit in the summer after a poor season with Ipswich and is clearly not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans.
West Ham fans won’t believe that Moyes wants to sign Phillips again after what happened the last time they were together.
Everton be warned, the timeline of Phillips’ spell at West Ham is so bad you almost couldn’t make it up.
A series of awful early performances from the former England midfielder saw him give the ball away leading to goals before he was then sent off in defeat at Forest.
How Phillips sealed place as one of West Ham’s worst ever signings
After serving his suspension, Moyes then benched Phillips until a chance at redemption arose against then Premier League whipping boys Burnley at home.
Phillips turned in another woeful display and was dragged off at half-time with West Ham 2-0 down. The Hammers came back to draw in his absence.
Phillips was then handed another golden chance to turn things around when Edson Alvarez was suspended for three games in the league and Europe.
That should have given Phillips a run of games to try and redeem himself.
But on 69 minutes of the first game of Alvarez’s suspension at Newcastle, Phillips came on for Michail Antonio with West Ham 3-1 up.
It is the game many believe changed the course of West Ham’s trajectory for the ensuing two years.
Because it was the moment West Ham’s season – and hopes of that fourth European campaign in a row – completely capitulated.
Against a makeshift Newcastle side, who had also lost several players mid-game due to injury, Phillips infuriated West Ham fans by walking around the pitch as they surrendered the lead to inexplicably lose 4-3.
To rub salt in the wound Phillips was caught on camera after the game swearing at a Hammers supporter who had called him ‘useless’.
Why Moyes would now want to give the former England midfielder another try at Everton is anyone’s guess.