St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas is set to be installed as the new Millwall manager within the next 48 hours.
If he is, then Courier Sport understands that Saints will move quickly to name his successor with current McDiarmid Park assistant manager Tommy Wright expected to make the step up.
Millwall were given official permission by Perth chairman Steve Brown to speak to Lomas, who has been hot favourite to take over at the Den for days.
The 39-year-old former Manchester City and West Ham midfielder is now believed to have flown out to Portugal to meet Lions chief executive Andy Ambler, who is there for the Football League’s annual general meeting.
Lomas’s closest rival for the Millwall post, former Blackburn boss Steve Kean, was ruled out of the running by the London club’s board on Monday.
Now, after waiting for Brown to return from holiday, Millwall have officially made their move for the Northern Irishman.
Lomas has secured successive top-six finishes and European qualification during his time at Saints.
If talks between Lomas and Ambler go well, he could follow in the footsteps of his predecessors at McDiarmid, Derek McInnes and Owen Coyle, who both left St Johnstone for clubs in England.
In a statement, Brown said: “I have been contacted by Millwall and, following discussions, have given them consent to speak to Steve Lomas.
“Steve is an ambitious and talented manager and I am disappointed but not surprised that his progress has been monitored by other clubs.
“As with our previous two managers, we will not stand in the way of Steve if he agrees to join Millwall.”
If that happens, St Johnstone would be entitled to compensation as Lomas still has a year of his contract to run.