Kyle conquest: Rangers set to win battle for Lafferty with £3.25m bid

The Ibrox offer is understood to be £3million up front, with at least a further £250,000 based on appearances and goals from the 20- year-old Northern Ireland frontman.

Rangers' fringe player Alan Gow could also be used as a makeweight, with Burnley thought to be close to finally ending the saga by sending Lafferty north for contract talks.

Irish eyes are smiling: Northern Ireland's Kyle Lafferty (left) is set to seal his dream move to Rangers

The latest Ibrox bid is more money than either Celtic or Wolves had been willing to put up and is set to make Lafferty, a boyhood Rangers fan, the club's third forward addition of the summer after Kenny Miller and Andrius Velicka.

Rangers have been tracking Lafferty since Walter Smith returned as manager last January, with assistant boss Ally McCoist watching him in international action.

He would represent the most significant outlay of Smith's second tenure, but the Ibrox club are convinced he has the potential to prove a quality addition.

Velicka, meanwhile, yesterday agreed a three- year contract with Rangers and will link up with their squad during the pre-season tour of Holland and Germany.

The former Hearts striker negotiated personal terms and had a medical during at Murray Park yesterday after a £1m fee was agreed with Viking Stavanger last week.

Under the terms of the agreement, Velicka will return to Norway this week and play in three league matches for Viking before formally moving.

Change of Heart: Velicka is set for a second SPL spell

The last of those games is against Stabaek on July 13, leaving the 29-year-old free to
link up with Rangers as they continue their preparations for the new campaign.

Velicka will miss the Ibrox club’s first friendly of the summer but will be available for the matches against  Sportfreunde Lotte on Wednesday, July 16 and Schalke 04 the following Saturday.

That should ensure he is integrated into Smith’s plans before Rangers’ opening
Champions League qualifier on July 30.

"Rangers can confirm that personal terms have been agreed on a three-year contract
with Lithuanian striker Andrius Velicka,’ said a club statement yesterday.

"An agreement has been reached with Viking Stavanger that would see his registration being lodged with the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League on July 14 when the player joins our training camp in Holland."

While Rangers continue a recruitment drive, there is also a need to trim fringe players
from their squad — with Belgian club Germinal Beerschot now offering Thomas Buffel the chance of a return to his homeland.

The Antwerp-based outfit are prepared to make Buffel, signed from Feyenoord three
years ago, their highest-paid player.

But that would still represent a sharp cut on the reputed £16,000 per week he currently earns at Ibrox.

The 27-year-old has 12 months left on his contract but has been told he can leave
Rangers for free.

"Germinal are interested but I need to speak to Thomas and see how keen he is on a return to Belgium," said agent Kees Ploegsma.

"Other Belgian clubs could be interested, as well as teams in France and Germany, so I don’t think Thomas will be making a decision within the next week."