Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson was last night locked in talks to finalise the deal that would see Johnny Russell join Derby County.
The clubs are understood to have agreed a fee for the coveted player with the Rams’ third offer of close to £750,000 being accepted by the Tangerines chief.
However, the fine details are still being thrashed out and, as things stand, Russell, who scored 20 times last season, remains a United player.
Even if agreement is reached between the clubs, there are still several hurdles to overcome before he can be unveiled at Pride Park.
Russell is abroad on holiday but would have to return to undergo a medical, then he and his representative John Viola would have to thrash out personal terms with Derby.
Of course, the 22-year-old, who has a year left on his contract at Tannadice, may ultimately decide not to join the English Championship side, especially if a late bid came in from long-term suitors Celtic.
Russell was also linked earlier this season with a move to Italy after Serie A outfit Catania made three bids for the player.
He is open to a foreign move, saying just last month: “I think if anything I’d prefer to go abroad. When do you ever see a Scottish player going abroad?
“I’d like to maybe go and show that the view they’ve got on Scottish football is inaccurate.”