MATT Derbyshire will join Olympiakos – likely to be early next week – after a second improved offer was accepted by Blackburn Rovers last night.

The Greek champions are now discussing terms with the 23-year-old – who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Olympiakos last season – after Rovers ironed out the finer details of the bid.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce and the club’s board accepted the latest offer from the Greek league and cup winners, which is believed to be in the region of £3m.

It was thought that Olympiakos’ original bid was around the same mark, but sources close to Rovers indicate that it was nearer to £2m after add-ons.

On top of the initial fee, Rovers are expected to receive a further 300,000 euros if Olympiakos qualify for the group stages of next season’s Champions League, and another 300,000 if they are crowned Greek champions in 2009/10.

“An agreement has moved a step closer,” said Rovers chairman John Williams.

“Olympiakos have made an improved offer that has met our valuation of Matt Derbshire – but there are some details that we are working on.

“Only once we have formally accepted the offer will the club be given permission to speak to our player.”

Olympiakos will want to wrap up the move for Derbyshire as quickly as possible as the Piraeus-based club – who recently appointed former Newcastle striker Temuri Ketsbaia as their new manager – begin pre-season training tomorrow.

They then travel to Austria on Monday for a 13-day training break.

With their focus on the Champions League, the Greek outfit are desperate to have Derbyshire registered for the premier European competition and fit for the start of their qualifying campaign which begins on July 28-29.

For Blackburn-born Derbyshire, who came through the ranks at Rovers following a 2003 switch from now-defunct Great Harwood Town, leaving his hometown club is likely to prove something of a wrench.

His future at the club, however, looked bleak under Allardyce.

During his stay at Olympiakos, he scored eight goals in 13 games, including two goals in the Greek cup final victory over AEK Athens.

With Derbyshire on the verge of a Rovers exit – and reports persisting that Roque Santa Cruz is poised to move to Manchester City this summer – Allardyce could soon be left with just two recognised genuine strikers, Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts.