Ruben Selles drops Sheffield United transfer message | OneFootball

Much has been made of Sheffield United’s AI-led transfer approach, but Ruben Selles has said he will have the final say on recruitment.

Much has been made of Sheffield United’s AI-led transfer approach, but Ruben Selles has said he will have the final say on recruitment.

The former Reading and Hull City boss replaced Chris Wilder at Bramall Lane, after the Blades lost in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final to Sunderland.

Ruben Selles: AI will “support” us

The COH Sports leadership group have placed a heavy focus on AI and data analytics in United’s transfer business, with a number of signings since their takeover being influenced by the model they have put in place.

Much has been made of what Wilder thought of this approach, while new head coach Selles has a background in analytics and backs the board’s forward-looking plans.

Rumours swirled that Wilder, who was managed his boyhood club for the second time, was resistant to the new approach and push for artificial intelligence.

When Selles was asked by Rob Staton of BBC Radio Sheffield if he will have the final say on signings as Blades boss, he confirmed that the decisive verdict was indeed his.

“Yes, and that’s what has been agreed,” he said. “What you want from those tools is to be more efficient, but we should not forget that we are playing football and there is human interaction and it’s a sport where you play with passion and in moments.”

Selles described AI’s role in the Blades’ recruitment as a “support”, calling it something he has used before.

He said: “What we are trying to do is find those marginal gains that can give you the difference to get promoted, to get a better player, to have more chances to be successful.”

Sheffield United prepare for another shot at Premier League promotion

The Blades managed 90 points in their return to the Championship, but fell behind the 100-point tally clocked by automatically-promoted Leeds United and Burnley.

They sat 14 points ahead of Sunderland at the end of the regular season, but after swatting aside Bristol City in the play-off semi-finals lost in dramatic fashion to the Black Cats at Wembley.

Wilder had said how disappointed he was to be leaving the club after getting so close to promotion back into the promised land of the Premier League, but left by a "mutually agreed" decision.

Selles now takes over with eyes set on promotion back into the top-flight. The 42-year-old led Southampton in the Premier League as a caretaker manager before taking complete charge of the team for the final portion of the 2022/23 season.

He then dropped down to League One in order to take charge of Reading, where he remained for 18 months in what was a difficult time for the club with off the field issues and troubles with owner Dai Yongge.

The Spaniad's Championship experience comes at Hull, where he guided the Tigers to safety on the final day of the 2024/25 season. He will now be battling at the other end of the table, with AI helping to inform recruitment decisions.