Simon Cowell is "desperate" to sign Adele as a judge on US X Factor.

The music mogul is putting together a lucrative offer to land the "Someone Like You" hitmaker for the program - which is short of two panellists following the sacking of Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger - and insiders believe "money is not an option" because he is so impressed with her success.

"Simon is always looking for new directions and ideas. He thinks Adele's success and achievements are incredible. He recognizes that true musicianship and a serious approach can bring a lot of credibility and an extra dimension to his show," a source said.

It seems Simon isn't alone in wanting Adele for the show. "The producers love her," another insider added.

Simon recently praised the 23-year-old singer's "down-to-earth" attitude since she found fame and achieved "incredible success," which has included six Grammy prizes and two BRIT Awards earlier this year:

"Adele is an incredible story. You wouldn't have predicted this years ago when we were such an image-infatuated business. Here is somebody who has done everything her own way, gone back to basics and achieved this incredible success. She's one of the most down-to-earth people you'll meet and she hasn't changed a bit."

Should Adele sign up for the show, she will join Simon and L.A. Reid on the panel. However, several stars, including Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Janet Jackson have also been linked to the vacant judges' chairs.