There has been a breakdown in the relationship between Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder and club owner Prince Abdullah, according to the Daily Mail journalist Ian Ladyman.

Abdullah reportedly wants a Director of Football to be appointed above Wilder, which is being resisted by the current Blades boss:

Brief update on Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. Owners essentially wish him to become head coach. DoF to be appointed above him. It’s a broken relationship.

— Ian Ladyman (@Ian_Ladyman_DM) March 5, 2021

Usually, in these situations, it is the owner who gets his way, but any move which goes against Wilder’s wishes is likely to lead to a lot of conflict. That would raise doubts over the 53-year-old’s future at Bramall Lane.

The club feel that recruitment has not been good enough since they were promoted to the Premier League, and this issue, along with clashes related to training ground improvements, has led to speculation that Wilder could leave at the end of the season.

Prince Abdullah has so far refused to back his manager in public, and it remains to be seen whether Wilder will be still in charge when next campaign kicks off.