Niko Kovac will take over from Jupp Heynckes as the coach of Bayern Munich this summer, according to a report in Germany.

Kovac, 46, has been in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt since 2016, staving off relegation in his first season in charge and establishing them as a solid force in the Bundesliga.

Before taking the reins in Frankfurt, he was head coach of his native Croatia between 2013 and 2015, guiding them to the 2014 World Cup, but failing to lead them out of their group.

The appointment would represent something of a suprise given Bayern Munich's tendency to appoint big-name coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti in recent seasons.

Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann and former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel had long been considered the frontrunners, but Nagelsmann was considered too inexperienced and Tuchel has been heavily linked with Paris Saint-Germain in recent days.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had stated that the club would announce their appointment "by the end of April" and that the new man would be a German speaker. Kovac spent almost his entire playing career in Germany, including a stint at Bayern between 2001 and 2003.