Gerard Houllier is set to accept the Aston Villa manager’s job within 48 hours, according to reports.
Houllier, currently the national technical director of French football, will meet with French Football Federation officials on Wednesday following the Euro 2012 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
And it is during that meeting he is expected to inform FFF president Fernando Duchaussoy that he wishes to become Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park.
However, Duchaussoy is hopeful of hanging on to the former Liverpool manager.
He said: “I will meet Wednesday to take stock of the situation with (Houllier), I’ll ask him. I would like to continue working with him.”
Villa owner Randy Lerner has been searching for a new manager since O’Neill’s shock departure in the week before the Premier League opener.