Manchester United are set to appoint Ralf Rangnick as interim manager on a six-month contract.
The 63-year-old German is open to joining United but will not be in the match against Chelsea this weekend pending his work permit.
United have agreed terms with Rangnick, but not with Lokomotiv Moscow, where he is head of sport and development.
It comes after United sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday after three years without a title as head coach.
Rangnick won the German Cup with Schalke in 2011 and took RB Leipzig to the final in 2019.
In the 2010-11 season, he led Schalke to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they lost 6-1 on aggregate to United, who were then defeated by Barcelona in the final.
United are eighth in the Premier League and Solskjaer, who scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final for the club, was sacked following an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Watford on Saturday.
Michael Carrick, Solskjaer’s assistant, was appointed on an interim basis, with United saying he would replace him while they look to appoint an interim coach until the end of the season.
Carrick led United on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over Villarreal, a result that ensured they would top the Champions League table.
Rangnick built an impressive coaching reputation during his time in Germany, primarily through games at Stuttgart, Hannover, Hoffenheim, Schalke and RB Leipzig.
He is then in charge of the Red Bull club team and his current club Lokomotiv will have a Europa League game against Lazio on Thursday night and United have taken note not to disturb their preparations.
Rangnick made the impression in an initial conversation with United officials earlier this week.
However, he held further discussions about his role after the end of the season.
Senior United figures believe Rangnick’s expertise will be invaluable from a technical and structural perspective.
This move supports the Old Trafford team’s view that bringing in an interim coach until the end of the season will give them space to assess the manager’s situation accurately.
Mauricio Pochettino is known to be interested in the United job but the Premier League club are wary of entering into protracted discussions with PSG that could drag on longer than they’d like.
It is understood Carrick will continue to be involved in Sunday’s game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
