Swansea City are set to appoint Paul Clement as their new head coach after Bayern Munich gave the Englishman permission to talk to the Premier League strugglers.
The Swans have been without a coach since dismissing Bob Bradley over the festive period and identified former Derby boss Clement as their number one target.
While the Welsh club are known to have gauged Clement's interest in the role already, they were not able to officially discuss the vacancy with the 44-year-old until Bundesliga giants Bayern - where he is currently assistant manager - gave them the green light.
Bayern announced on Monday lunchtime that they have granted their number 2, who previously worked with Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, the chance to talk with Swansea.
And sources close to the negotiations have told The Independent that there are unlikely to be any problems in striking a deal for Clement to take over on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The Swans travel to south London for a crunch relegation clash with Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, when Clement is expected to be in the stands, but could have their new coach in place for their next Premier League game - at home to Arsenal on January 14.
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