Cherries manager Lee Bradbury is remaining tight-lipped over the identity of his latest defensive transfer target.

Reports in south London have suggested Bradbury is on the trail of Crystal Palace’s vastly-experienced centre-back Adam Barrett.

In an interview with the Daily Echo on Sunday, Bradbury confirmed Cherries had agreed a fee with a Championship club for an unnamed defender.

However, when asked yesterday whether Barrett was the subject of the offer, Bradbury politely declined to comment.

Barrett played alongside Bradbury during their time together at Southend and joined Palace on a free transfer from the Essex outfit a year ago.

The 31-year-old was restricted to just five league starts for the Eagles last season and spent time on loan with Cherries’ League One rivals Leyton Orient.

Dagenham-born Barrett also had an opportunity to join Huddersfield on loan but opted to stay close to his family in east London.

Barrett was due to hold talks with Palace boss Dougie Freedman regarding his future over the summer and could be available for a nominal fee.

Should he be the man on Bradbury’s wish-list, Cherries could face competition for his services from Notts County after being linked with the Magpies earlier this month.

Bradbury is desperate to bolster his central defensive resources in the wake of skipper Jason Pearce’s £300,000 sale to Portsmouth last week.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Cherries have already missed out on signing former Rotherham pair Ryan Taylor and Dale Tonge, together with ex-Bradford star Gareth Evans.