Hearts are set to complete the signing of former Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty on a two-year deal subject to a medical, Press Association Sport understands.

The Northern Ireland hitman has been involved in lengthy discussions with the Jambos for most of this week.

The Gorgie men faced late competition from Edinburgh rivals Hibernian but Lafferty has decided to make Tynecastle his next move after being released by Norwich earlier this summer.

The 29-year-old helped Gers win three titles in a row but since leaving Ibrox in 2012 has struggled to find a settled home at club level.

He has had frustrating spells with Swiss outfit Sion and Italians Palermo before joining Norwich in 2014 but he endured more anguish at Carrow Road as he was farmed out on loan to Turks Caykur Rizespor and then last season to Birmingham.

But he will hope to recreate the deadly form he showed while helping his country qualify for Euro 2016 after agreeing to join Ian Cathro's new-look Hearts line-up.

Lafferty becomes the club's fourth new signing of the summer.

Meanwhile, the capital club have agreed a deal to release Nigeria left-back Juwon Oshaniwa.

The defender, who played in the 2014 World Cup, signed a three-year contract at Tynecastle in the summer of 2015, but after making 25 appearances in his first campaign did not feature at all in the first team last season.

The club announced the 26-year-old had left by "mutual consent".

Oshaniwa, who was sent off twice for Hearts, became one of the club's highest-paid players after arriving from Israeli side Ashdod.

Hearts have also struck an agreement that will see their two opening Ladbrokes Premiership home matches played at Motherwell and Kilmarnock instead as work continues on their new £12million main stand.

Hearts will now travel to Rugby Park on August 12 and Fir Park two weeks later. Kilmarnock will instead visit the new-look Tynecastle on November 4 and Motherwell on December 9.

The arrangement means Hearts will play their first four league games away from home - they also take on Celtic and Rangers - before they host Aberdeen on September 9 in the first game in front of the new structure.

The fixture switches mean Cathro's side will play seven out of eight league matches at home from late October until mid-December.