Rangers are working to time the appointment of Derek McInnes to coincide precisely with the imminent departure of current head coach Danny Rohl.
Red Bull Salzburg has agreed a seven-figure compensation package with Rangers for Rohl, clearing the path for his exit from Ibrox.
The German head coach is now in the final stages of completing his move to the Austrian club, bringing his Rangers tenure to a close.
With Rohl’s departure all but confirmed, Rangers have moved quickly into an advanced stage of appointing his successor.
Club officials have held talks with McInnes and at least one other candidate over the past 12 hours as the process accelerates.
The Hearts manager and former Rangers player is now considered the firm favourite to take the position.
Hearts have indicated they will allow their manager to leave once their agreed-upon compensation figure is met by the Ibrox club.
Owner Andrew Cavenagh, along with chief executive Jim Gillespie and others, are due to meet in Boston on Saturday to finalise the appointment.
It is widely expected that the appointment of McInnes will be rubber-stamped at that gathering.
The 54-year-old famously rejected Rangers back in 2017 when he was Aberdeen manager, agreeing to take the job before performing a late U-turn.
Those close to the situation believe McInnes would not turn down Rangers for a second time, making his appointment appear near certain.
McInnes spent five years as a player at Rangers from 1995, giving him a strong connection to the club and its supporters.
Among his managerial achievements, he led Aberdeen to League Cup glory and guided both St Johnstone and Kilmarnock to Championship titles.
Last season he took Hearts to second place in the Scottish Premiership, finishing above Rangers in the final standings.
His Hearts side went into the final game of the season top of the league before losing the title in a decider against Celtic.
McInnes would also have the backing of a large number of the Ibrox support, which strengthens his candidacy considerably.
Red Bull had been in talks with Rangers for the best part of a week over a deal for Rohl, who previously worked as a coach with Red Bull Leipzig.
The Austrian club wants Rohl to revive their fortunes after falling behind LASK and Sturm Graz in recent seasons.
The move suits all parties, with sections of the Rangers support turning against Rohl following last season’s late collapse after he had initially got the club into genuine title contention.
McInnes is expected to be in position ahead of the Rangers squad’s return for pre-season training.
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