Ruben Selles is a strong contender to take over at Sheffield United with Chris Wilder expected to leave the club.
Wilder guided United to the verge of promotion before the play-off final defeat to Sunderland in May, which they led 1-0 until the 76th minute but lost 2-1 following Tom Watson’s goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
United, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2023-24 in 20th-place and with 16 points, finished the regular 2024-25 season in third place on 90 points, 14 clear of Sunderland. Leeds United and Burnley finished 10 points above in the automatic promotion places.
Former Southampton and Reading manager Selles was sacked by Hull City in May after six months in charge despite guiding them to safety on goal difference on the final day of the 2024-25 season.
He previously took temporary charge of Southampton in the Premier League but won just two of 17 matches as the club were relegated. He led Reading to a 17th-place finish in his first season in charge at the League One club despite a six-point deduction ahead of steering them into the playoff positions before leaving for Hull in December.
Wilder returned to Sheffield United for a second spell in December 2023 when they were at the foot of the Premier League standings, but was unable to reverse the club’s situation ahead of relegation.
The 57-year-old, who had two spells at United during his playing career, guided the club from League One to the Premier League during his first spell as the club’s manager, which included a ninth-place finish in the top flight in 2019-20.
Wilder ended his first tenure in March 2021 when the club were 20th in the Premier League, and had spells at Championship clubs Middlesbrough and Watford before returning to United 18 months ago.
Additional reporting: Jacob Tanswell, Matt Slater
(Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)