Borussia Monchengladbach are expected to name former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso as their new manager ahead of the 2021/22 season.
Gladbach have already confirmed that current boss Marco Rose will leave the club at the end of the campaign to take over at Borussia Dortmund, who were looking for a permanent replacement for Frenchman Lucien Favre.
The German side have remained tight-lipped about their pursuit of a new boss, but according to Bild, club officials have settled on Alonso, who is set to swap Spain's third tier for the Bundesliga at the end of the season.
Alonso, who cut his teeth in the Real Madrid youth setup, has been in charge of Real Sociedad's B team since the summer of 2019 and he has led the team to the top of the third tier table this season.
There's no denying that hiring Alonso would be something of a risk, given he has never coached higher than his current level, but it is the Spaniard's pedigree as a player that has given him the edge over the rest.