In light of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Chris Wilder’s future, Sheffield United has reportedly placed Gary O’Neil at the top of their manager shortlist.
After United’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland in the Championship play-off final in May, Wilder is still unsure if he will be given another chance to lead the team to promotion the following season. The seven board members have not reached a unified decision over the manager’s future, according to an article published earlier this week by The Star.
It remains to be seen which way new owners COH Sports will go but reports are now emerging over possible replacements, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting via the Sun on interest in O’Neil. The former Wolves boss is said to top the shortlist of potential replacements, with the 42-year-old ready to get back into work following his Molineux exit in December 2024.
Bramall Lane chiefs are said to be ‘big admirers’ of O’Neil who could be targeted to take charge if the decision is taken to sack Wilder. Nixon adds, however, that compensation could prove an issue given the Blades boss only signed a new contract in January.
O’Neil is believed to have admirers elsewhere, however, and could easily be in demand among Premier League clubs early into next season, if swift decisions are taken. Despite being sacked by Bournemouth and Wolves, the former defender is highly regarded as one of England’s better young coaches, and he received high praise from former Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, who recently secured a £62.5million move to Manchester United.
“For me, he’s one of the best managers that I’ve had in my career,” Cunha said of O’Neil back in December. “He’s improved me a lot, not only as a player, but he’s improved me to be calm and manage situations. I can be frustrating and I feel like he can always help me in every single point of being a human, a player and a man. I have a very good relationship with him and I’m so grateful with every single thing that we’ve built together.”
United manager search latest as former Hull City boss also eyed
While a decision isn’t yet thought to have been taken on Wilder, reports suggest United are weighing up prospective replacements and O’Neil is not the only name to be linked. The Sun report also names former Hull City manager Ruben Selles as a ‘live candidate’ for the role.
Selles was surprisingly sacked by Championship strugglers Hull City in May despite guiding the Tigers away from serious relegation trouble to survive by virtue of a better goal difference than third-bottom Luton Town. Despite that tense end to the campaign, the 42-year-old is regarded to have done a good job at the MKM Stadium and his dismissal was a shock.
With all that being said, there is every chance Wilder remains in post for the 2025/26 campaign, with the boyhood Blade focused and determined to bring Premier League football back to Bramall Lane. He has already lined up a number of possible transfer targets but the board could take a different approach, having leaned heavily on data and AI since taking control of the club.
