TOP Dutch coach Co Adriaanse has told friends he's on the brink of becoming Manchester City's new boss.
While Claudio Ranieri, the former Chelsea manager now in charge of Parma, is still favourite for the Eastlands job, the arrival of Adriaanse on the scene must be seen as a major challenge to him.
Adriaanse, 59, last week resigned as coach of Ukraine club Metallurg Donetsk. Despite being a title-winning coach at Ajax, rivals Feyenoord have offered him their manager's job.
But he asked for five days to think over their offer while he discusses his future with City.
Adriaanse won the Portuguese title last season with Porto and is renowned for his work in developing unsung teams.