Vincenzo Montella is reportedly on the brink of being named the new coach of AC Milan, with Marco Giampaolo set to replace him at Sampdoria.
According to Italian press reports, including La Gazzetta dello Sport and Mediaset, the 42-year-old has emerged as the favourite to sit on the Rossoneri bench next season with Cristian Brocchi unlikely to be confirmed in the position he filled for the final third of last season.
Brocchi is reported to have asked to be released so he can accept the job at Serie B club Brescia and Milan are unlikely to stand in his way after he oversaw a drop in league position last season after replacing Sinisa Mihajlovic, and Milan missing out on European football for a third straight season.
Montella, who guided Sampdoria to safety after replacing Walter Zenga early last season, had been a Milan target before they chose Mihajlovic last summer and a year on their long-awaited collaboration could finally begin.
According to La Gazzetta, his appointment will be confirmed as soon as club president Silvio Berlusconi fully recovers from a recent heart operation to discuss the appointment with the group of Chinese investors who have until the end of the month to complete their takeover of the Serie A club.
With Berlusconi not expected to leave his hospital bed until the middle of July, however, all important decisions could be delayed for a little longer, creating further uncertainty as the Rossoneri's rivals slowly start to commence preseason training.
Even Brocchi may have to wait until Berlusconi has recovered before learning whether his request to leave has been accepted, a decision which also leaves Brescia in limbo.