Chris Wilder has reportedly emerged as the leading contender to take over at Sheffield United, should current manager Paul Heckingbottom be relieved of his duties.
The Blades are in the Premier League in 2023-24 following a two-year absence, however Heckingbottom's side have struggled to adapt to life back at this level.
United have collected just a single point from their opening six top-flight matches, meaning that they sit bottom of the league standings, below Luton Town and Burnley due to their inferior goal difference.
The Yorkshire club's lowest moment of the term on the pitch arrived on Sunday afternoon, when Eddie Howe's Newcastle United completed a 8-0 demolition of the Blades at Bramall Lane, with eight different players getting a goal for the Magpies.
According to Football Insider, Sheffield United are setting their sights on Wilder as their number-one candidate to sit in the managerial hotseat if Heckingbottom is dismissed.
© Reuters
The report claims that the club's owners - more specifically Prince Abdullah and several board members - have patched up their once frosty relationships with Wilder over recent months.
Wilder was in charge at Bramall Lane for a five-year period between May 2016 and March 2021, helping United to some of the most successful times in their recent history.
After earning promotion from League One, Wilder guided the Blades to the Premier League and steered his men to a ninth-placed finish in the English top flight in the 2019-20 campaign.
Following such a successful term, United struggled during their second season among the country's elite, placing bottom of the table and being relegated back to the EFL, with Wilder sacked in March of that term.
Heckingbottom is under pressure after failing to get his side going in the Premier League after six games, and the 46-year-old has won just three of the 18 top-flight matches he has managed throughout his career.
© Reuters
Despite numerous reports suggesting that a move back to Yorkshire could be imminent for Wilder, it was claimed earlier this week that Sheffield United have no immediate plans to sack their current boss.
With Saturday's trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United fast approaching, it is expected that Heckingbottom will take charge of the Blades as they attempt to bounce back from a difficult afternoon at home on Sunday.
The Blades' last outing in the Premier League was at Tottenham Hotspur almost a fortnight ago, when added-time goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski meant that the visitors went away empty handed from North London.
Carter White
