Yokohama F. Marinos are close to signing Frenchman Eric Mombaerts as their new manager, club president Akira Kaetsu said on Thursday.

Mombaerts has reportedly quit as coach of French Ligue 2 side Le Havre. L'Equipe said the 59-year-old "is heading to Yokohama to work on a project with Manchester City."

The City Football Group has a minority stake in Marinos and has been helping the Nissan club find a successor to Yasuhiro Higuchi, who stepped down at the end of the J. League season. Higuchi's men finished seventh, 12 points behind champions Gamba Osaka.

"We've rounded the final turn and are heading into the home stretch," Kaetsu told Kyodo News of the club's negotiations with the former France under-21 and under-18 national coach.

"When we meet him face to face, we'll go over all the details."

Le Havre is currently eighth in Ligue 2. Mombaerts had been in charge since December 2012.