Sheffield United managerial target Slavisa Jokanovic would prefer to join a club in England rather than one of the biggest sides in Middle Eastern football, as reported by The Star.
After two years in charge of Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa, it seems the softly spoken Serb is ready for a return to Europe.
And it just so happens there’s a club in the Premier League – well, for another few weeks anyway – tempted to offer him a fresh start in new surroundings.
The likes of Karl Robinson and Alexander Blessin have been linked with the Sheffield United job almost a month after the departure of club legend Chris Wilder.
Jokanovic, however, blows every other candidate out the water, on paper at least.
After all, the one-time Chelsea defender led Watford to promotion from the Championship in 2015 before guiding Fulham to victory in the 2018 play-off final at Wembley.
So if Sheffield United want to bounce back and follow impending relegation with an immediate return to the top flight, who better than Jokanovic to make that happen?
The Star reports that, while the Blades have yet to make contact with the 52-year-old, Jokanovic is very interested in a return to England. He would rather coach a Premier League or Championship club in 2021/22 than stay in the Middle East.
The Sun, meanwhile, reports Sheffield United will have to match Jokanovic’s current £4 million-a-year pay packet if they want the promotion specialist at Bramall Lane (4 April, page 61).
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