Kilmarnock have launched an ambitious move to land Kyle Lafferty on a free transfer.
The former Rangers and Hearts star is set to be offered a deal until the end of the season at Rugby Park.
Killie boss Tommy Wright is keen to add more firepower to his team and wants to land his fellow countryman on a short-term deal.
The 33-year-old has been a free agent since he left Italian side Reggina in January.
Lafferty has since returned from Italy and is keen on a return to Scotland, having seen a switch to Romania fall through.
He also wants regular games to keep himself fit for Northern Ireland.
Lafferty has just turned down a move to Romanian outfit Sepsi and that has opened the door for Killie.
Wright wants another striker with his team third bottom of the Premiership and struggling in front of goal.
The Killie boss admitted after his first game in charge, which ended in defeat to Motherwell on Wednesday, his team needs to produce more in the final third and Lafferty could provide that solution.
The Rugby Park board are prepared to back their new manager to help guide the club to safety.
And Lafferty would fit with Wright's criteria as he insisted he wouldn't sign players who had been out of action for months.
He explained: "It would need to be someone that has just been released in January.
"It's no good looking at someone that's just been out of work for four, five, six months.
"That market is very small, even in these times, so it's something that we're working on and James will be working on in the background."
