Watford are to appoint Vladimir Ivic as their new manager on a two year contract.
The 43-year old Serbian left his role as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv at the end of the season after winning consecutive league titles.
According to reports, Ivic was to hold talks with Watford’s owners in Udine, Italy last month and he impressed them sufficiently to be handed the job. Ivic had previously managed PAOK where he won the Greek Cup in 2017.
He succeeds Nigel Pearson who was controversially sacked before the end of last season which saw Watford relegated to the Championship.
Former Leicester City coach Claude Puel, currently at St Etienne, had been the early favourite to succeed Pearson prior to Watford’s relegation while Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber had also been considered.
Ivic did not command compensation and was on a relatively modest contract in Israel