Cherries are close to completing a deal for top strike target Matt Tubbs, the Daily Echo understands.

The Crawley Town star is believed to be on the verge of joining the League One play-off hopefuls – as predicted in today’s Echo.

Cherries last week had a bid rejected for the Verwood-raised frontman – the offer understood to have been in the region of £500,000.

But following Tubbs’s match-winning goal in Crawley’s FA Cup giant-killing of Hull City on Saturday, Cherries are thought to have renewed their interest.

Cherries boss Lee Bradbury has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his attacking options – with Will Hoskins, Cody McDonald and Josh McQuoid among those on the radar during the January transfer window.