Claudio Ranieri is expected to be appointed as Watford's new manager on Monday, according to reports.
The Hornets parted ways with Xisco Munoz this weekend after his side were beaten 1-0 by Leeds.
Watford have lost four of their first seven matches this season and Xisco was made to pay the ultimate price.
The Spaniard secured promotion from the Championship last term, but his dismissal cannot be considered a surprise given Watford's track record.
Ranieri will be the 13th manager the Pozzo family have hired during their nine-year spell at Vicarage Road - and that does not include caretakers.
According to Sky Sports, the experienced Italian has agreed terms with the board and will take charge this week.
Ranieri has been out of work since leaving Serie A side Sampdoria at the end of last season.
He will take over a club that sits 14th in the Premier League table going into the October international break.
Ranieri, who turns 70 later this month, is well known to the Pozzos and has been a candidate for the job in the past.
Watford will hope his vast experience can keep them clear of trouble, although Ranieri's last job at Fulham was a disappointment.
The mastermind behind Leicester's astonishing title triumph in 2015/16 failed to have the same impact at Craven Cottage.
Hired in November, he was dismissed on the last day of February having been unable to improve the Cottagers' prospects.
The key question is whether the veteran Italian has the stomach for another relegation battle.
This will be Ranieri's 21st managerial job in a career which began way back in 1986.
It is his fourth posting in England following spells at Chelsea, Leicester and Fulham.
Ranieri is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Hornets, and his first game at the helm will be against Liverpool at Vicarage Road on October 16.
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