Italy will appoint former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso as their new head coach, according to Gianluigi Buffon.

Former shot stopper Buffon, who is now the head of a delegation of the Italian football federation, said Gattuso was set to be appointed as Luciano Spalletti’s replacement. 

Spalletti was sacked earlier this week, after winning just 12 and losing six of his 24 matches in charge of the four-time world champions.

“We have worked, we are now waiting for the final details,” Buffon told Italy’s state broadcaster RAI on Saturday when asked to confirm whether Gattuso would be announced as the new coach.

“The president and the whole federation have had some busy days, but I think that in the end we made the best choice.”

Gattuso, who was part of the Italy team that won the World Cup in 2006, recently left Hajduk Split by mutual consent, after a third-placed finish in Croatia’s top flight.

And he has a stern task before him, with Italy under threat of missing their third consecutive World Cup, having failed to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

A 3-0 defeat to Norway last Friday compromised the Azzurri’s chances of finishing top of their group.

Indeed, despite beating Moldova, who are ranked 154 in the FIFA rankings, the following Monday, Italy are nine points behind leaders Norway in Group I, with an inferior goal difference.

In the wake of Spalletti’s sacking, the recently-retired Claudio Ranieri and then-Al-Nassr manager Stefano Pioli were both linked to the Italy job.

The former is widely reported to have turned down the role, while the latter is thought to be on course to join Fiorentina.

Gattuso’s first games in charge would be World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Israel in the September international break.