Clarke is target for Blues hero Zola at the Hammers

The Italian knows Clarke well from his time at Stamford Bridge and is keen to utilise the Scot's experience as part of his coaching staff.

West Ham, frustrated at the complicatons surrounding original favourite Slaven Bilic, have decided that Zola is the man to move the club forward after the resignation of Alan Curbishley.

Former Italian national coach Roberto Donadoni also impressed the club's directors but at a board meeting yesterday at Upton Park, headed by vice chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson, it was agreed the 42-year-old was the outstanding candidate.

Croatian national coach Bilic, whose team meet England tomorrow in a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb, was on the shortlist but doubts about his immediate availablity, and even problems setting up a potential interview, meant West Ham finally ran out of patience.

West Ham's criteria for their new manager included someone who would be committed to playing attacking football, would develop the club's youth strategy, had experience of English top-level football and had a good command of the language.

A West Ham spokesman said: "In the end, we felt that Gianfranco Zola scored the best of all the candidates."

The board also asked former player and TV pundit Tony Gale to give his expert opinion.

Gale said today: "I was privileged to be asked and happy to share my thoughts with the board. What I said is confidential but the final short-list certainly included candidates of top quality."

Barring any last-minute hitches, the deal with Zola should be completed today and it is likely he will be unveiled on Thursday.

It is understood he is happy to work with club coach Kevin Keen, who is in temporary charge of the first team, alongside Clarke, providing he can be tempted away from Chelsea.

Chief executive Scott Duxbury, who conducted the interviews along with technical director, Italian Gianluca Nani, was enormously impressed with Zola and his vision for the club.

Bilic had been the bookies' favourite but West Ham never publicly confirmed that the Croatian was their first choice.

Zola played 249 times for Chelsea, scoring 89 goals, and was the Footballer of the Year in 1997.

He was awarded an OBE in 2004 at a special ceremony in Rome.