City have made Guiseley their final offer in a bid to head off a transfer tribunal over James Hanson.

The wrangle over a fee for striker Hanson has rumbled on since he joined the Bantams following a successful trial in pre-season.

Neither club are keen to call in independent mediation and City hope the improved bid will satisfy their UniBond League neighbours.

Joint-chairman Mark Lawn stressed that they were making a “take it or leave it” offer.

If rejected, both parties will head for a tribunal – believed to be the first time a league club have been taken to arbitration over a non-league player.

City are refusing to reveal the precise sums involved, although it is understood to be a four-figure cash offer plus the guaranteed income from a pre-season friendly. There is also a 25 per cent sell-on clause in any future transfer fee.

Lawn said: “We’ve gone back to Guiseley and upped the offer. We don’t think we can go any further.

“It’s up to them but any more than what we are prepared to offer would be unrealistic from our point of view.”

Guiseley say they are entitled to a fee because of Hanson’s age and the fact that he had been under contract and was offered a new one.

But City were unhappy at their initial claim – thought to be as much as £50,000 – which was more than they shelled out to Macclesfield for Gareth Evans, an established pro striker.

Guiseley boss Steve Kittrick said last week: “On a scale of one to ten, Bradford have started at one and now moved to two and we’ve come down from ten to eight.”

Guiseley are believed to have revised their price tag but City see the £7,500 fee they got for Luke Medley from a tribunal with Barnet as a more realistic ball park.

Hanson has scored four goals for City but Lawn feels there is more to come.

He added: “I think James is still learning his job. There’s a long way to go with him.

“Like anything else, the first few games were running on adrenaline but now we’ve got to put a little bit more coaching into James to get more out of him every game.

“He was an unknown source when he came on to the scene. Now the opponents know what his game plan is so it’s up to us to coach more guile into him.”