Sheffield United touted to raid Bristol City for significant appointment | OneFootball

Sheffield United are considering major changes behind the scenes this summer

Sheffield United are considering the appointment of Bristol City’s Brian Tinnion as their new director of football.

According to The Sun, the Blades’ new owners are considering an overhaul of their backroom staff.

This has led to speculation over the future of Chris Wilder as manager, with the club looking to fight for promotion to the Premier League next year.

The Yorkshire outfit finished third in the Championship table last season, but missed out on a top flight return after a 2-1 loss to Sunderland in the play-off final.

Brian Tinnion considered by Sheffield United owners COH Sports for backroom role

Sheffield United are reportedly considering hiring a new director of football, as they look to plan for the upcoming summer transfer window, which opens on Monday.

It is believed that the Bristol City chief is being tipped for the position, with the Robins recently losing manager Liam Manning to Norwich City.

Tinnion has been technical director at Ashton Gate since 2022, and he has played an important role in their rise since then, with the side coming sixth in the Championship table last season.

This was Bristol City’s best league finish in almost 20 years, reaching the second tier play-offs for the first time since 2008.

It has been claimed that the new Sheffield United owners are seeking to use AI as part of their new recruitment process, and it remains to be seen whether Wilder is on board with this strategy or not.

The likes of Gary O’Neil and Ruben Selles have been mentioned as potential replacements, should the 57-year-old depart this summer.

Bristol City’s improved league form since Brian Tinnion's technical director appointment

Bristol City finished 14th in the Championship during the 2022/23 campaign, the first year in which Tinnion was in charge as technical director.

The appointment of Manning saw an improvement in form, with the team coming 11th in 2024.

And they continued to go from strength to strength under the 39-year-old, earning a play-off place last season before being eliminated from promotion contention by Sheffield United.

The Blades won their play-off semi-final 6-0 on aggregate before their loss to Sunderland in the final.

Brian Tinnion appointment would be a big change for Sheffield United

Tinnion has spent a long time with Bristol City, working his way up to become technical director in 2022.

He knows the club very well, so it would be a big jump to move to Sheffield United, where he would have to learn the ropes of how everything works at Bramall Lane - especially with their new AI-led transfer strategy.

Changing manager and bringing in Tinnion would really signal the beginning of a new era under the American owners.

Given the reports of potential conflict in recruitment plans between the owners and Wilder, perhaps a clean slate under a new coach this summer would make the most sense, and a brand new director of football could also help with the transition process.