Chris Wilder set to depart Sheffield United after being beaten to promotion by Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland
Chris Wilder looks set to leave Bramall Lane after Burnley beat his Sheffield United side to automatic promotion.
His future has been the topic of intense debate over the last few weeks as the Blades’ new owners mulled over his future.
It comes after the Bramall Lane outfit missed out on promotion to the Premier League, firstly finishing in third behind the Clarets and Leeds United before being edged out by Sunderland in the Championship play-off final.
Despite finishing the season on 90 points, it’s now being reported by our colleagues at our sister paper, the Sheffield Star, that Wilder is set to depart.
The 57-year-old’s exit is expected to be confirmed this week after discussions with members of the Bramall Lane hierarchy.
United’s owners, the COH Sports group, are understood to have decided to change direction. A compensation package is now being discussed.
It’s been claimed that Wilder and the club’s new owners have fallen out over differing views of the club’s recruitment strategy, but this has been dismissed by the Star.
COG Sports are to utilise an AI model to spot signings, already signing little-known Ehije Ukaki from Bulgarian top-flight outfit Botev Plovdiv.
Wilder only signed a new contract five months ago, a deal that was scheduled to run until the summer of 2028.
The Blades had been in the Championship’s top two for much of the season, but a 33-game unbeaten run from Scott Parker’s Burnley side saw them leapfrog into second.
The final blow came when Burnley beat the Blades 2-1 at Turf Moor in April.