Chris Wilder is on the brink of leaving his role as manager of Sheffield United after nearly five years in charge, following weeks of disagreements over the running of the club and plans for next season.
Wilder, who took over at Bramall Lane in May 2016, has held meetings with the board on Friday, but it looks increasingly likely he will leave by mutual consent despite last-ditch attempts to reconcile the differences between manager and club.
Sheffield United cancelled Wilder’s pre-match news conference on Friday, intended to preview Sunday’s trip to Leicester, blaming “circumstances beyond our control”.
Wilder, 53, and the board were engaged in heated exchanges earlier this year.
Key to the disagreements has been the club’s recruitment policies, with the board wanting Wilder to concentrate on managing the team and less on signing players.
Wilder pushed hard for the signings of Aaron Ramsdale (£18m) and Rhian Brewster (£23m) – and would not consider other options – but the board believes they were not what was needed this season to help them stay in the Premier League.
The Blades have spent almost the entirety of this season bottom of the table and are currently 12 points off safety with 10 games remaining.