BURNLEY are bracing themselves for a second bid from Charlton Athletic as the Addicks step up their quest to sign Andy Gray.

The Clarets have turned down what they described as a "substantial seven figure bid" for their leading goalscorer, after Lancashire Telegraph Sport revealed on Monday that Alan Pardew was set to make his first move this week.

The fee tabled, which I understand was in the region of £1.3million, falls well short of Burnley's valuation of the striker.

But promotion-chasing Charlton are unlikely to give up on a player who manager Pardew has made his prime January target at the first hurdle.

It is anticipated they will improve their offer to £1.5million for Gray, whose last goals came in the 3-1 win at The Valley in early December.

And they may have to move quickly, with other clubs interested in the former Sheffield United and Sunderland striker, including Ipswich Town.

It has been reported that the Tractor Boys have already made a counter offer, to include an un-named player, but this has been refuted.

Manager Jim Magilton, who has been armed with a £12million warchest courtesy of new owner Marcus Evans, is an admirer of Gray and knows what he would be buying into as the 30-year-old has a proven track record at Championship level.

However, although he is confident the striker would score goals for Town as they also home in on a top six Championship finish, Gray is not at the top of his wanted list.

Nevertheless, manager Owen Coyle is adamant that the Scotland international, who is contracted to the Clarets until the summer of 2009, remains part of his plans. And the same applies to the rest of his squad as he said: "I'm trying to build a team, not dismantle one."

However, the package that Charlton are offering is believed to double Gray's current wage, and at this stage of his career, with Charlton aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League, such an opportunity could prove hard to resist.