Dutchman Clarence Seedorf is set to join Shenzhen Kaisa, a club in China's second division league.
"Seedorf has already been in Shenzhen for a week, and he is very close to seal the deal with Shenzhen," a source close to the club told Xinhua on Thursday.
"Kaisa group has invested a lot in this club, but the results seem to be disappointing," he added.
Led by local coach Tang Yaodong, Shenzhen Kaisa is currently eighth in China's second division league. But with only six points behind second-placed Guizhou and 14 games to play, the club are not giving up their efforts to be promoted.
Seedorf, 40, is considered as one of the most successful Dutch players. The former AC Milan midfielder won the European Champions League with three different clubs.
After hanging up his boots, Seedorf started his coaching career in AC Milan in January 2014. He was sacked four months later when the Rossoneri finished eighth in Serie A, with 11 wins from 19 league matches in his charge.
On Tuesday, former Juventus manager Ciro Ferrara was appointed as the head coach by Chinese second division team Wuhan Zall. Another Italian, Fabio Cannavaro, has been in charge of Tianjin Quanjian in the same league since this June.
