BRISTOL City will attempt to complete the signing of much-travelled striker Jon Stead in the next couple of days.

Championship rivals Ipswich Town have accepted a bid of between £200,000 and £250,000 and the transfer is now subject to Stead, pictured right, passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

The former England Under-21 star's agent is expected at Ashton Gate today for talks with Robins chief executive Colin Sexstone and, if a broad agreement can be reached, Stead will meet City manager Steve Coppell tomorrow to seal the deal. Despite the clubs agreeing a fee, Stead's financial demands could yet prove a sticking point and the ex-Blackburn, Sunderland and Sheffield United striker will almost certainly have to take a pay cut if he moves to Bristol.

In what is expected to be a busy week of transfer activity at Ashton Gate, Coppell also hopes to recruit a Premier League right-back with more than 100 top-flight appearances to his name.

Although Coppell is refusing to name names, the anticipated new arrival is intended as a replacement for Queens Park Rangers-bound Bradley Orr, who is expected to join the London outfit on Wednesday.

Orr was omitted from the squad for Saturday's pre-season friendly at Aldershot. The long-serving right-back bade farewell to City supporters and referred to "an offer I could not refuse" on his Facebook page.

Paul Hartley is also set to leave after Scottish Premier League club Hearts formally announced their interest in re-signing the 33-year-old midfielder. Hartley has agreed terms with the club and will be allowed to leave Ashton Gate on a free transfer with a year of his contract to run.

Coppell said: "We have more or less finalised details on a move and it looks as though Bradley will be leaving the club. That is why I could not include him against Aldershot on Saturday.

"Bradley is the type of player I would love to stay at the club, but he has a seed in his mind that he wants a new challenge and he has a year left on his contract, which makes the club very vulnerable. I would never doubt anything he has done for me in pre-season, but he really wants a fresh challenge."

He added: "We're in a similar no-win situation with Paul Hartley. Do we keep players here who do not want to be here and are unhappy in the environment, or do you accept that they are not going to be here and try to do something about it?

"Everyone would acknowledge it is not an ideal situation when a player with one year left on his contract is travelling up and down between Scotland, where his family is, and Bristol, where his job is. His performances last year were terrific in the circumstances, but he made it perfectly plain in the summer that he was desperate to be closer to his family."

Signing a striker remains a priority and Coppell will hope to have Stead on board in time for Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Yeovil Town at Huish Park.

Previously linked with Premier League newcomers Blackpool and Championship clubs Derby, Coventry and Millwall, Stead is one of eight players transfer-listed by Ipswich manager Roy Keane, who wants to free up cash to pursue in-demand Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra.

Although popular with Ipswich fans, Stead proved too inconsistent for Keane's liking and ended last season on loan at Coventry. But his record in the Championship is impressive and the Yorkshire-born forward netted 18 times in 39 appearances for the Tractor Boys.

Given the injuries that are likely to rule Nicky Maynard and Danny Haynes out of the start of the season, Coppell urgently requires additional firepower to bolster an attack which, with the exception of an 11-1 romp against Swedish Fourth Division minnows Vallens, has struggled during pre-season. He said of Maynard and Haynes: "It is going to be touch and go for the start of the season. Once they start training, it will be rapid progress, but they have to be pain-free before then and, at the moment, both need a rest period."

City's boss sees Stead as an ideal foil to either Haynes or Maynard, both of whom are blessed with blistering pace. Adept at holding the ball up and strong in the air, the 27-year-old forward has scored 63 times in 195 League starts since making his debut as a teenager for Huddersfield Town in 2002.

Snapped up by Blackburn Rovers for £1.25m in 2004, Stead contributed six goals to help the Lancashire club retain their Premier League status. But the arrival of Craig Bellamy later that year restricted his opportunities at Ewood Park and Rovers manager Mark Hughes agreed to sell the Yorkshireman to Sunderland for £1.8m in June 2005. Stead joined Sheffield United 18 months later in a deal worth £750,000, but failed to help the Blades avoid relegation and was forced to play second fiddle to Billy Sharp and James Beattie in the Championship the following season.

He subsequently joined Ipswich on loan before making his switch to Portman Road permanent in September 2006. Although the Tractor Boys splashed out close to £800,000 to secure Stead's services, they are prepared to accept a loss in order to cut their wage bill and allow Keane greater leverage in the transfer market.

The stadium debate continues – see Pages 1-6