BURNLEY striker Andy Gray is expected to be the subject of a £1million-plus bid from a rival Championship club early this week.

As I understand it, Charlton Athletic are set to offer at least £1m for the Clarets' leading scorer this week.

Sources close to the Addicks say boss Alan Pardew has been left deeply impressed after keeping tabs on the 13-goal front man in recent months.

His high opinion of Gray was endorsed when the former Sunderland and Sheffield United striker celebrated a double in the Clarets' impressive 3-1 win at The Valley on December 1.

And after holding discussions with his board to draw up a list of transfer window targets towards the end of last week, Pardew has cited the 30-year-old as his number one front man as he seeks an immediate return to the Premier League.

When reports of Charlton's interest first broke last week, Clarets manager Owen Coyle said he had not received any bids for any from back page of his players.

And he insisted that Gray, who has another season left to run on his contract after costing the club £750,000 in the summer of 2006, was someone he was keen to hold onto regardless.

"There is always going to be interest in your players because there are some good ones, but we don't want to be losing them," stressed the Burnley boss.

"Andy Gray is a valuable member of the side and we're not encouraging any bids or offers for him.

"I'm looking to build a team, not dismantle one."

Gray's strike partner Robbie Blake, who scored the winner as Burnley ended a run of nine games without success at Turf Moor, echoed that it was important the Clarets build on what they have.

"We want to keep our best players at Burnley," he said.

"It's vital that everyone stays here. We've certainly got a squad capable enough of challenging in this league, so it is obviously vital that we add a few players and keep the squad we've got, it's certainly good enough to be there or thereabouts."