Former Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has reached an agreement with Wigan to be named as the new head coach on a 12-month rolling contract.
The 46-year-old Scot will succeed Roberto Martinez at the DW Stadium, after the Spaniard joined Everton.
Coyle was sacked five months after Bolton were relegated from the Premier League, having taken charge at the Reebok stadium from 2010-2012.
Wigan were relegated to the Championship last season, but will be competing in the Europa League next season after emerging victorious over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
“I have agreed a deal in principle with Owen Coyle and his agent is now with our chief executive to finalise the deal,” Wigan chairman Dave Wheelan told BBC sport. “But as far as I’m concerned, we have sorted it and I hope the rest will be sorted in the next hour.
“I’ve told hime returning to the Premier League is the total and utter priority. It’s fantastic that we are in Europe but that comes second and he knows that the Premier League is where we have to be.”
Wheelan also confirmed Coyle’s appointment would be on the basis of a 12-month rolling contract.
“When you’re in a situation like we are at Wigan and have just been relegated from the Premier League, the amount of money we receive is going to go down,” Wheelan said.
“So I can’t commit to telling a manager I’m going to pay him a certain amount for so many years as we have to be careful. Wigan is a special club and we are run a certain way and I will take no risk.”
In Spain, Malaga CF has agreed to appoint former Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster to replace City-bound Manuel Pellegrini as coach.
A statement on Malaga’s official website read: “Malaga Club de Futbol and Bernd Schuster (Ludwigshafen, Germany, 22/12/59) have reached an agreement for him to be coach for the Martiricos Club. Malaga CF trust that the German-born coach will help to develop and achieve the team’s long term goals, as a five-year contract has been signed.”
