Sheff Utd are targeting ex-Watford and Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic as a long-term replacement for Chris Wilder, according to reports.
Wilder left the Blades last week ahead of their game with Leicester City. U23s manager Paul Heckingbottam has stepped up to become their interim boss. Former Bournemouth manager Jason Tindall has been brought in to assist Heckingbottam.
The likes of Neil Lennon and Eddie Howe have been linked with Sheffield United. But The Sun are reporting that Jokanovic is being targetted as Wilder’s replacement.
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The report adds that they are willing to make him the highest-paid manager in the Championship.
Wilder left Sheffield United after almost five years in charge. He left Northampton Town in May 2016 to take over at Bramall Lane. The Yorkshireman had two spells with the Blades during his playing career.
The 53-year-old helped them win the League One title at the end of his first season in charge. They reached 100 points in doing so, which was a new club-record.
Sheffield United stabilised in their first season back in the Championship, as they finished tenth. They followed up this strong season with a promotion challenge in 2018/19.
They capitalised on Leeds United falling away from automatic promotion contention to finish as that year’s runners-up. This earned them their first campaign in the top flight since 2006/07.
The Blades were among the favourites to go down last year, but they proved to be one of the division’s surprise packages. They ended up ninth in the Premier League, which was their highest league finish since the 1991/92 season.
They invested in the squad last summer with several new signings, but the 2020/21 season has been a torrid one for the Yorkshire outfit.
When Wilder left, United were 13 points adrift of safety having only won four of their 28 league games. They had to wait until their eighteenth outing to record their first victory of the campaign.
Jokanovic has two Championship promotions on his CV. He guided Watford back to the Premier League in 2014/14 as they finished second in the table behind Bournemouth. In 2017/18, he helped Fulham earn promotion through the play-offs.