Cherries star Scott Malone looks set to complete a move to Millwall in the next 48 hours – with Josh McQuoid returning to Dean Court as part of the deal.
Malone is today understood to be meeting Lions boss Kenny Jackett to discuss personal terms, with a fee of around £750,000 believed to have been agreed by the clubs – but not confirmed by either.
Striker McQuoid, who joined Millwall for £515,000 in January 2011, is expected to head back to Dorset after being used by the Lions as a makeweight in the deal.
McQuoid is understood to have agreed to the move after Cherries said they would match his wages – the 22-year-old reputedly set to become the highest paid player at Dean Court.
Both deals are expected to be subject to the players passing medicals, with Malone today set to fly back from a holiday in Spain to meet Jackett at a hotel near Gatwick Airport before returning to Malaga.
Coincidentally, both Malone and McQuoid are part of a 16-strong party of Cherries players and friends enjoying a summer vacation in the luxury resort of Marbella. The pair are also understood to be represented by the same agent.
Malone, who joined Cherries from Wolves in January for a fee of around £150,000, was recommended to manager Jackett by Millwall chief scout Jamie Johnson.
However, despite heading to Dean Court to personally cast his eye over Malone during Cherries’ final game of the season against Preston, Jackett left disappointed as the winger did not start.
Malone, who spent the first half of the season on loan to Cherries from Wolves, scored six times and contributed seven assists in 37 appearances for the club last season.
Sources close to Malone claim the player has not engineered the proposed move and have said the Midlander would be more than happy to remain at Dean Court.
Striker McQuoid, a loan target for former boss Lee Bradbury in January, has started only seven games in the Championship for the Lions during an injury-plagued stay in south London.
The Pennington-raised Northern Ireland international candidly admitted money and the lure of playing in the second flight had been his main motivating factors behind leaving Cherries.
He was understood to have netted a near 600 per cent increase in wages when he moved to the Den, snapped up by Jackett following an explosive 14-week spell that saw him plunder 12 goals in just 16 starts and earn his first full cap for his adopted country.
When contacted by the Daily Echo yesterday, Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell said he had no knowledge of the deal having been agreed. Earlier this week, however, Mitchell confirmed Cherries had had dialogue with Jackett “some time ago”.
Meanwhile, freed Cherries striker Michael Symes is understood to be a target for League One outfit Tranmere Rovers and League Two newcomers Fleetwood.
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