West Bromwich Albion have ended their pursuit to appoint Chris Wilder as the new manager at The Hawthorns.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that, after extensive talks with the 53-year-old, the Baggies are set to pull the plug on appointing the former Sheffield United manager as Sam Allardyce's replacement at the club.

It is reported that the West Brom hierarchy are harbouring serious reservations about installing the Stocksbridge-born manager, and are now prepared to turn their focus to alternative candidates for the role.

This latest development comes after claims last week that a deal between Wilder and the Baggies was all but done, with these reports now appearing to have been rather premature.

Fans will be gutted

With Wilder appearing to be a dead cert for the vacant managerial position at The Hawthorns over the past week, fans have had plenty of time to give their two cents on the potential appointment, with a number of them appearing delighted with the idea of the 53-year-old taking over at their club.

One claimed on Twitter that Wilder's "proven track record of leaving clubs in a better position than when he took over" was a good sign for the Baggies, while another stated their belief that the former Sheffield United boss "has got the best CV out of all the candidates" who are in the running for the job.

Indeed, it would be hard to argue with either of these points, as, so far in his managerial career, Wilder has taken a mid-table Oxford United side to the League Two play-offs places, a 21st placed Northampton Town side to being League Two champions and a Sheffield United side languishing in League One to a top-half Premier League finish in the space of just four years.

As such, with a wealth of experience in getting teams promoted, the appointment of Wilder at West Brom would have appeared to significantly increase the Baggies' chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

However, if the latest reports are to be believed, West Brom will not be led by the 53-year-old next season, news that will undoubtedly leave fans of the club gutted.

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