Sheffield United’s American owners have risked upsetting their fanbase after deciding to sack Chris Wilder and replace him with Rubén Sellés.
With confirmation of Wilder’s departure expected shortly, the club are thought to have entered advanced negotiations with Sellés, who was sacked by Hull last month. The Spaniard narrowly kept Hull in the Championship after his appointment last December.
Wilder is believed to be deeply upset by the decision of COH Sports, the consortium that owns Sheffield United, to end his second spell in charge. He was contracted to 2028 and the delay in announcing his exit appears connected to negotiations over compensation.
Despite starting the past season with a two-point deduction for financial irregularities, the Blades remained in strong contention for automatic promotion until almost the end before losing the playoff final 2-1 against Sunderland.
Although much of the fanbase appeared in favour of retaining the 57‑year‑old manager, who led the Blades from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons during his first stint, Wilder is understood to have disagreed with the owners’ enthusiasm for a heavily data-driven player recruitment system.
COH Sports took over last December after buying out Prince Abdullah and by the end of January were so impressed with Wilder they offered him a three-year contract extension.
Sellés had brief spells in charge of Southampton and Reading after starting his coaching career in charge of Valencia University’s first XI.
Despite a patchy managerial record, Sellés has won plenty of admirers since arriving in England and is noted as a skilled developer of young players.
