RANGERS were today finally edging towards a deal for Stevie Naismith and hope to land the Kilmarnock striker at the FIFTH time of asking.

RANGERS were today finally edging towards a deal for Stevie Naismith and hope to land the Kilmarnock striker at the FIFTH time of asking.

Given the tense negotiations, failed bids and counter-claims that have gone on between Ibrox and Rugby Park throughout the past seven weeks of this saga, no-one was taking anything for granted today.

But the signs are Naismith will be a Rangers player before next Wednesday's signing deadline for the Champions League tie against either Zeta or Kaunas.

Walter Smith's target has always been to have the 20-year-old (inset) in place by that time, and if it happens even quicker the Rangers boss will be happy to take it.

It is believed the payment terms and add-on clauses have been looked at again in fresh talks between the clubs since Wednesday.

The deal is likely to net Killie £1.5m up front, with a further £300,000 in payments for appearance clauses.

That would earn Naismith his dream move, but the player is not getting his hopes up until Killie give him and his agent, Andrew McCormick, permission to talk to the Ibrox club.

At the moment, Killie boss Jim Jefferies is preparing to field Naismith for the first time in pre-season in a friendly against Dundee tomorrow.

But the manager revealed: "In writing, Rangers are a bit away. But there are one or two verbals' going on through a third party and it seems they are not far away now.

"As it stands, there is still nothing official. Until we get to that point, the important thing for me is to get one of our key players back playing football and that's likely to happen against Dundee."

Smith is also close to landing Hibs' Steven Whittaker. That deal will not be done in time for Wednesday's deadline, but the 23-year-old is likely to be a Rangers player by the time they play Inverness Caley in the SPL opener on August 4.

On the injury front, Smith revealed both Thomas Buffel and Stevie Smith will now undergo full pre- seasons before they are considered for first- team action.

It is likely to be the middle of September before either player is available as they will both need games to reach match fitness.

Meanwhile, on the Champions League front, should Montenegro champions Zeta - who lead Kanuas 3-1 from Tuesday's first game - progress, they would host Smith's side in Podgorica on Tuesday, August 7.

If Kaunas turn the deficit around, their home match against Rangers would be on Wednesday, August 8.

The first leg is at Ibrox on Tuesday, July 31 (7.45 kick-off).