West Ham United co-chairman David Sullivan has revealed the club held talks with Chelsea-bound manager Antonio Conte before appointing Slaven Bilic as the club's new boss last summer.

Conte is understood to be on the verge of signing a three-year-deal at Stamford Bridge, but could have easily been in charge at Upton Park had it not been for his commitments with the Italian national team.

"We wanted a big name. He had taken over the Italian team a year previously and was basically unbeaten," Sullivan told the Daily Mirror.

"He told us, 'I'd be lynched but I'd love to come in a year. I'd consider it in a year'. This year's up and he has taken them to the Euros. It was a short but positive conversation.

"He's a got a massive record of winning things. He'd have had great connections in Italy, played sexy football and it would have been be jolly good.

"With a team like Chelsea you have to bring in a manager who has won things at a top level. You can't take a risk.

"I'd stay with Slaven now. You stick with what you know.

"With the ammunition he has had, if it wasn't for Leicester you'd say he couldn't do any better!"