CHERRIES are in line to bank around £4million after Adam Lallana completed his reported £25m switch from Southampton to Liverpool this morning.

The Dean Court outfit are entitled to a sell-on fee and the windfall will give the club a welcome boost as they aim to meet strict financial fair play criteria.

England international Lallana was on Cherries’ books as a youngster before being signed by Saints as a 12-year-old in September 2000.

Cherries received £2,000 for the two years he was registered with the club together with a £1,000 finding fee.

Further stage payments were made when Lallana signed scholarship (£5,000) and professional forms (£10,000) for Saints, while an FA tribunal also made provision for the Dorset club to receive a sell-on fee.

And despite Cherries’ financial problems of the past, including going into administration, the agreement has remained in place.

The funds, together with the £2.5m received from the sale of last season’s leading goalscorer Lewis Grabban to Norwich City, could help Cherries fall within financial fair play limits.

Championship clubs were permitted to lose a maximum of £8m – or £3m if an owner did not inject equity – during 2013-14 and are due to report figures to the Football League in December.

In April, the Dorset club revealed losses of more than £15m for the financial year to the end of July 2013 and were looking likely to face sanctions for breaking the limits.

However, while Cherries are one of a number of clubs still campaigning for the thresholds to be increased, Lallana’s sale will significantly improve their chances of avoiding any penalties.