Huddersfield Town have submitted an offer to Leyton Orient to sign 24-year-old midfielder Ethan Galbraith, who has also drawn interest from Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United and Swansea City. (Yorkshire Post), external
Want more EFL transfer rumours? Check out Thursday's full gossip column
Rubén Sellés is the new Sheffield United manager
Sheffield United have swapped out veteran boss Chris Wilder for former Hull City head coach Ruben Selles.
The Spaniard departed the Tigers in May despite keeping the relegation-threatened side in the Championship.
However, while Wilder has a breadth of experience, including two stints with the Blades, Selles' first managerial job came in 2023 at Southampton.
With such a gamble taken, BBC Radio Sheffield's Andy Giddings thinks a good start for Selles is crucial to winning over the fans.
"Ruben Selles has a very hard act to follow. Chris Wilder is synonymous with Sheffield United," Giddings said.
"There were some Blades fans who were advocating a change but if social media is any barometer, I'd suggest they are in the minority view.
"If things don't start well, the new manager - and as the result of that, the board - will get some heat."
Listen to the full discussion and more on BBC Sounds.
So, the powers that be at Sheffield United no longer think Chris Wilder is the man to guide them back to the Premier League and have replaced him with Ruben Selles.
Wilder, 57, has left the Blades after failing to secure automatic promotion and then missing out in the Championship play-off final after a 95th-minute winner from Sunderland.
Do you agree with the call?
Or do you think shunning Wilder is an error that could prove costly?
Sheffield United are considering a double swoop for young Tottenham Hotspur pair Ashley Phillips, 19, and Alfie Devine, 20. Centre-back Phillips spent last season on loan at Stoke City, while attacking midfielder Devine was with Belgian side KVC Westerlo for the 2024-25 campaign. (The Star), external
Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesThe PFA awards have announced a shortlist of six for their Championship Players' Player of the Year award, with promoted Burnley and Leeds United each receiving two nominations.
Clarets captain Josh Brownhill and goalkeeper James Trafford are both up for the prize, while Leeds forward Dan James and midfielder Ao Tanaka are also on the list.
The remaining two nominations have gone to Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer and Norwich City forward Borja Sainz.
The winner will be announced on 19 August at Manchester's Opera House.
Andy Giddings
BBC Radio Sheffield journalist
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesChris Wilder always said he wanted to leave Sheffield United with his head held high, and there's no doubt he's doing that - again. An announcement on his departure for the second time is expected soon.
The 57-year-old has twice ignited a revolution at the club he grew up supporting, and would play for, before first joining as manager in 2016 with the Blades at its lowest point in 33 years.
The first time was a fairytale for Blades fans, a 100-point promotion from League One preceded two years in the Championship, and a brief flirtation as a Premier League side with the idea of being in Europe before Covid struck.
Wilder's second stint was initially a salvage job after a disastrous summer of recruitment hindered predecessor Paul Heckingbottom. Ultimately it didn't work, but the seeds of change were sown.
Wilder - known as being a skilled planner - set about changing the plan, and despite a slow, nervy start to the transfer window due to the protracted takeover of the club, put together the makings of a good squad which amassed 90 points (92 without the deduction) that remarkably wasn't enough for automatic promotion, and ended with a defeat in the Championship play-off final.
Following that final against Sunderland three weeks ago, it's believed a split board decided to discuss a 'change in direction' last week which has ultimately led to the pending departure of one of United's most successful managers.
The delay in holding these talks over his future and the time it's taken to resolve the situation shows a lack of respect to Wilder, in my opinion, a lack of clarity at the top of the club, and a naivety in offering him a new three-year deal in January, when it was known significant changes to the club's methods of recruitment were coming.
With five promotions on his managerial CV, Wilder's stock remains high.
Football, eh?
Image source, PA MediaSheffield United have made former Bournemouth and Wolves boss Gary O'Neil, 42, their number one target to replace Chris Wilder as manager. (The Sun), external
Hull City want to sign ex-Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie, 29, from Las Palmas after the Spanish side's relegation from La Liga but may face competition from his former club if Chris Wilder remains as Blades manager. (Hull Daily Mail), external
Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's full gossip column
Is Chris Wilder's Sheffield United future in doubt?
Andy Giddings, BBC Radio Sheffield reporter
A meeting is scheduled to take place in which the owners of the football club will discuss whether they want Chris Wilder to continue as the team's manager.
All the noises from the other side suggest Wilder is raring to go and crack on to try and get Sheffield United promoted next season.
It does seem strange such a short time after the play-off final, and given Wilder's successes - he was a kick of a ball away from becoming, via some metrics, Sheffield United's most successful manager - that this is even a discussion.
I can understand where some fans have reservations about AI [being used for recruitment processes]. You can cite certain teams but it's never going to be the same as at Brighton and Brentford of how they use their recruitment models.
Nobody outside the inner workings of those clubs is ever going to know what goes on.
There is no silver bullet to recruitment and in any recruitment process, I'm sure a lot of fans will agree that there has to come a point where you use the technology. Great, that's fine.
But there has to be the human element of it because there isn't a statistic in the world that can tell you about heart, fight and character. Can you do it when the chips are down?
Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield reporter
Here's what I don't understand - why offer Chris Wilder a new contract in January? It seems a little bit strange that you would give Wilder a new contract and then a few months later move on.
We haven't had a chance to speak to the new owners. You would imagine that perhaps if they were to make a move like this, they would answer some questions as to why, and their vision, and what exactly they are thinking here.
But you do have to wonder, sometimes with owners they have some ideals, ways they want to work around things. Have Sheffield United not been this way before?
Because in the past they went to Slavisa Jokanovic, they wanted to do things differently. They then had to rip that up a few months later and go back to the system that had worked in the past.
Yes, Sheffield United didn't win promotion last season but they did have, by and large, a successful season after a difficult rebuild last summer. Could history repeat itself here?
Image source, Rex FeaturesA meeting has reportedly been scheduled by Sheffield United to determine the future of manager Chris Wilder.
The Blades amassed 90 points in the Championship in the 2024-25 season but missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League to Leeds and Burnley, who both hit the 100-point mark.
Sheffield United reached the play-off final at Wembley but gave up a first-half lead to lose 2-1 to Sunderland.
Wilder is 18 months into his second stint with the club since replacing Paul Heckingbottom as boss in December 2023, having managed United for five years between 2016 and 2021.
With speculation that Wilder might be sacked, BBC Radio Sheffield sports reporters Rob Staton and Andy Giddings have been discussing the latest from Bramall Lane.
Listen to their thoughts on the situation on BBC Sounds here.
Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England
Image source, Getty ImagesWatford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.
Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.
Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.
Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.
Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.
The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...
Image source, Rex FeaturesPortsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.
Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.
The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.
Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.
Image source, Rex FeaturesPlymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.
Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.
Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.
Image source, Rex FeaturesWatford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.
The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.
Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.
Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.
Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.
It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.
Data collated from Transfermarkt
Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesI did the thing you're not supposed to do on Sunday. I went on an internet chat forum to gauge fan opinion.
Forums, as with social media, are often a place to vent and let off steam. You can't judge the thoughts of an entire fan base off a few spicy comments online. However, it is at least worth having a glance to see what's being said sometimes – even if it makes for unpleasant viewing for yours truly and my esteemed colleagues from the world of local journalism.
The reaction to the play-off defeat against Sunderland was not kind to manager Chris Wilder. That's the mild, family friendly description.
It isn't right. It isn't fair. It needs to be challenged. So here goes…
Sheffield United won 92 points this season, a club record. In the last 10 years, that would've been enough to go up automatically eight times.
The Blades equalled a run of away wins this season dating back to the late 1800s.
United started the summer staring at a major rebuild of the squad. They smartly used the sale of players like Will Osula to bring in key additions. Michael Cooper and Harrison Burrows weren't mega-money splashes. They were sensational, astute additions.
Wilder tapped into the club's academy, giving talented young players a chance to become household names.
Players who were figures of a fun the season before, like Vini Souza, became fan favourites under Wilder's leadership.
They had to handle crushing injuries to Harry Souttar and Ollie Arblaster, the latter being replaced by another talented academy prospect in Sydie Peck.
The club also had a lengthy ownership saga going on in the background, creating uncertainty. Then there was the crushing tragedy of George Baldock's death which impacted everyone associated with Sheffield United.
Through all of this, and it would consume many other managers and clubs, United were 15 minutes from the Premier League.
This wasn't a failure. This wasn't an effort worthy of online rants, undermining the manager, claiming he doesn't know what he was doing. What total and utter abject nonsense.
This was one of Wilder's best efforts in a long, successful career. Sunderland, to their credit, and roared on by a fantastic crowd at Wembley, snatched promotion away with two excellent goals. That's football.
Wilder is United's best ever boss. This isn't to undermine the brilliant work of Dave Bassett but the game's changed. Football has never been more challenging or dominated by money. A manager's job is harder than it was 30 years ago. Considerably so, in my opinion.
Even in defeat, Wilder should be praised. There's nobody better to get things going again next season.
Sheffield United missed out on an immediate return to the Premier League as they were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in Saturday's Championship play-off final.
Could the Blades have done more?
Where did it go wrong for Chris Wilder and his players?
Here are just some of the thoughts of Sheffield United supporters:
Miguel - Unfortunately failed to win any significant match against strong opposition this year and like so many games this year should have scored more whilst on top. Not ready for the Premier league yet.
Mary - Proud of them all. Hold your heads high and we go again next season and go up automatically.
Ian - Did well in the first half but our front line is only really Tyrese Campbell. Hamer pulling up, Anel getting taken out by Cannon didn't help. Sunderland keeper pulls off a top class Banks save and they took their chances really well. Fair enough really - renewed ST regardless.
Dave - Hate to say it but could be a blessing in disguise!
Jake - The team showed signs of mental fragility when they let a five-point lead slip with only a few matches left to play. I think that had some bearing on the fixture, and Burrows' strike being ruled out by VAR meant heads started to drop. Ultimately, promotion feels like a poisoned chalice now, with the growing gulf between Premier League and Championship teams. Sunderland fans may be in for a long season.
Matt - Summed up the whole season, just did enough to lead, then did not push on for a second, especially after the VAR no goal. We just thought we could hold on again like so many of the previous 20 odd wins this season. A strange season all round! If, when, we lose the creativity (Hamer) next season will be even more tougher than this.
Will - My worry now is that we're going to lose some key players and it would be great if the team was kept together because we know we can challenge for promotion next season. If we lose Hamer and Cooper I think that will be a real shame.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was heartbreak for Sheffield United on Saturday after teenager Tommy Watson's 95th-minute winning goal at Wembley put Sunderland into the Premier League.
It means the Blades yet again failed to get through the play-offs despite a dominant first half - but was it a game they should have won?
Did Chris Wilder and his squad give it all they could or do you think there was more they could have done to secure their rise to the top flight?
Let us know here what you thought of Sheffield United's performance on Saturday.
