Former Barcelona vice-president Ferran Soriano will be confirmed as Manchester City's next chief executive in succession to Garry Cook.
The Blues have been giving little away about their search for Cook's replacement following his resignation in September in the wake of a controversial email where he appeared to mock the mother of defender Nedum Onuoha.
That error in judgement left him with little choice but to step down from his post despite earning praise from City's owners for the positive work he did in the role during his time at the club.
It's being claimed down under that Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill had been in the running for the job but the Manchester Evening News are now reporting that has missed out to Soriano.
The 44-year-old won't be able to take up position immediately as he still has some loose ends to tie up following the collapse of Spanair last week.
That could delay his entrance to the £2m-a-year job for up to six weeks, but City are convinced he is worth waiting for.
Soriano is very well respected in the game after becoming a powerful voice in football during his spell as general manager at the Nou Camp.
He oversaw a dramatic rise in Barca's commercial success as they went from the world's 13th richest club to second behind Real Madrid as revenue soared.