Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has offered the manager's job to Brighton boss Graham Potter.
Potter was locked in advanced talks with the Blues on Wednesday night and an agreement is said to be close.
Barring any last-minute hitches, he is expected to be in charge for Saturday's Premier League clash at Fulham, says the Daily Mail. Having made a formal approach to Brighton, Chelsea were granted permission to speak to Potter.
Those talks are understood to have been led by co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in London on Wednesday afternoon and continued into the evening.
Potter, 47, is understood to have a release clause of at least £12m in his contract, meaning Brighton are powerless to stop their manager leaving.
Recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay and first-team coach Billy Reid are among the Brighton staff set to follow Potter to London.
There was no confirmation of Potter's appointment on Wednesday night, but sources said the only way Chelsea would not appoint him is if he turned down the role.