Claudio Ranieri has been appointed the new coach of Monaco, ending speculation linking him with a move to West Bromwich Albion.

The Ligue 2 club confirmed Ranieri’s arrival in a statement, the 60-year-old Italian signing a two-year contract with the option for a further 12 months.

“AS Monaco FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as the club’s new head coach,” read the statement.

“The appointment follows a rigorous search and selection process during which Claudio Ranieri clearly emerged as the outstanding candidate for the job.

“He is regarded as one of the leading coaches in modern European football and brings to Monac FC a wealth of experience and achievement in the game.

“We are confident that, under Claudio Ranieri’s leadership, the team will continue the strong improvement it experienced in the second half of last season.

“Above all, we believe his coaching skills will bring an extra dimension to the preparation of the team that will help drive the level of performance that is required both to entertain and to excel.”

The former Chelsea manager held two rounds of talks with WBA earlier this month over the possibility of succeeding new England manager Roy Hodgson at The Hawthorns.

He has most recently been em-ployed in his homeland, with spells at Parma, Juve and Roma before an ill-fated stint at Inter ended in dismissal in March.