SHEFFIELD UNITED have put Oostende boss Alexander Blessin on their list of possible replacements for Chris Wilder.
The Premier League basement boys have had Under 23 chief Paul Heckingbottom in temporary charge since Wilder departed in mid-March.
And the job that German coach Blessin has done in Belgium is believed to have caught the eye of the Bramall Lane hierarchy.
It is understood the 47-year-old has met with the Blades top brass on a couple of occasions already and another meeting has been pencilled in.
Oostende currently sit fourth in their domestic league.
And their impressive campaign has enhanced the reputation of Blessin around Europe.
United owner Prince Abdullah is keen on a young coach with forward thinking ideas who can inspire the club to bounce straight back from the Championship.
Former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic was another name to have been linked with the vacancy.
But Blessin’s work with young players at Oostende, along with his willingness to work on a budget, are believed to have alerted the South Yorkshire club to him.
The Blades face Leeds on Saturday knowing their hopes of staying up are all but over as they sit 14 points adrift of safety.
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SunSport also exclusively revealed on Wednesday that the Blades are also keeping tabs on Sean Dyche’s situation at Burnley.
The Premier League’s long-serving boss is giving serious consideration to leaving Turf Moor this summer.
And United could decide to pounce for him, with Crystal Palace also interested.
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