QPR eye mega transfer boost as Sheffield United prepare to sack Chris Wilder - opinion

While there’s a degree of sadism in QPR celebrating news that Sheffield United will part ways with manager Chris Wilder, the Blades’ boss’ dismissal could come as a huge transfer boost for the west London outfit.

The R’s are expected to announce the appointment of former Rennes coach Julien Stephan any day but Tuesday’s managerial talk in the second tier is anchored in south Yorkshire. Wilder’s second stint at Bramall Lane has come to an end after a year-and-a-half with the team missing out on promotion to the Premier League last month having been beaten by Sunderland in the play-off final.

Sky Sports reports that Sheffield United will sack Wilder following a review of last season with US-based consortium COH Sports wanting a fresh face in the dugout. That will come with a reset for the club and send chiefs back to the drawing board for summer recruitment.

Sheffield United to sack Chris Wilder

That could be good news for QPR. Sheffield United have been heavily linked with a move for R’s defender Jimmy Dunne. The 27-year-old is out of contract at Loftus Road this summer and was the subject of a Blades bid in January

In the club’s retained list at the end of last season, QPR confirmed that they remained ‘in discussions’ with Dunne over an extension but Sheffield United have been linked with continued interest. Having not agreed a new deal and able to leave for free, all signs were pointing to Dunne leaving QPR.

The R’s have even been linked with signing new defenders to replace Dunne, namely Reading man Amadou Mbengue and Middlesbrough defender Anfernee Dijksteel. However, keeping Dunne would be a mega boost for QPR given his importance to the side.

QPR could be handed transfer boost as Wilder leaves Bramall Lane

Dunne was named Player of the Year for the 2024/25 campaign and only missed one Championship game last season. QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes, who remains on gardening leave, named Dunne as a ‘very important’ player when linked with the Blades in January.

Wilder had made no secret of his admiration for Dunne either. In January he admitted: “We made a bid for Jimmy and it got turned down. He wasn't our player and QPR have every right to do what they needed to do in that particular moment. For a player out of contract in the summer, we put a reasonably good bid in. We obviously like the player because if we didn't, we wouldn't have put a bid in. But QPR have every right to turn that down and they turned it down.”

The Star had reported that the fee offered was £2 million, a significant amount for a player soon to be out of contract. It sounds as if Wilder was pushing that move and, with him gone, Dunne may have has an exit route cut. With a QPR contract offer there, perhaps the full-back will now stay at Loftus Road.

In other news, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Leeds United compete as Championship club 'resigned' to transfer exit.