MELBOURNE Victory has scheduled a ''major announcement'' for today at which it is expected the club will confirm the appointment of Mehmet Durakovic as full-time coach.

Victory is also understood to be close to securing Socceroo star Harry Kewell, with the ex-Leeds and Liverpool winger to be paid in a deal that would involve him receiving a significant chunk of any cash generated by increased memberships the clubs sells through signing him.

Mehmet Durakovic. Credit:Paul Rovere

The club is also believed to have reached agreement with SBS television analyst and former Socceroo striker Francis Awaritefe to become its director of football in what amounts to a complete revamp of the football department.

Durakovic has been in charge since March this year, when he was elevated from youth team coach to that of caretaker coach following the sacking of Ernie Merrick, the Scotsman who had been at the helm for the first six seasons of the A-League, taking Victory to two championships.

Victory's new board, headed by Anthony Di Pietro, have completed a near-four-month process to find a replacement coach.