Real Madrid set to extend contract of manager Santiago Solari until 2020

The Argentinean has impressed the club sufficiently to be retained as head coach

Santiago Solari will take charge of Real Madrid for the first time on Wednesday (Getty)

Real Madrid are set to announce the official hire of Santiago Solari on a permanent contract as first-team manager, with the former winger agreeing to a contract until 2020.

The rookie coach was promoted from within on an initially interim basis, but after talks broke down with Antonio Conte the Argentinean was given a prolonged spell to make his case and Madrid have decided to retain him until the end of next season.

Solari has presided over four wins from four games with a goal difference of +13 since taking over in the wake of Julen Lopetegui's sacking. The 42 year-old could barely have done more to impress Florentino Perez, who is understood to have only ever wanted a coach until the end of the season - a key sticking point in negotiations with Conte, who the players also had significant doubts over.

Conte's reputation for being a hard taskmaster and insistence on a long-term contract at Real Madrid killed his chances (Getty)

Conte formally conceded defeat in the pursuit of the Madrid job this week.

“Real Madrid? As I see it, it is better to wait until the end of the season than to take a train running now,” he told Sky Italia.

“I want to wait for June and start again with a new project. In three months I could change my mind and deny everything, but I've always thought of it this way.”

It is still expected that the Bernabeu club will make a strong play for Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham next summer, but Solari now has the opportunity to convince them that they have the right man over a longer period of time.

Madrid's upturn in form has seen them rise to sixth in La Liga, four points off leaders Barcelona.