Sven-Goran Eriksson has agreed a three-year contract in principle to take over as Manchester City manager.
The 59-year-old former England coach will succeed Stuart Pearce, who was sacked at the end of last season.
Eriksson has been out of football since leaving the England job after the World Cup in summer 2006.
City's players report back for training on Wednesday week, and club officials are confident Eriksson will be in place by then.
Eriksson is not expected to be formally unveiled until City's prospective new owner, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shiniwatra, takes his shareholding in the club past the 75% that will allow him to take it off the Stock Exchange.
Thaksin currently has 55.9% in promised pledges, and is likely to increase that to 65.8% if, as expected, he acquires Sky's shares within the next 48 hours.
He made Eriksson his top managerial target and is understood to have made a £50m transfer fund available.
