ALAN Pither is expected to hold talks with Cherries owners Paul Baker and Alastair Saverimutto this weekend – and could become Cherries’ new owner by the end of next week, the Echo can reveal.

Representatives of Pither, the man behind Bournemouth Holdings Ltd, a company set up with the intention of purchasing the football club earlier this year, are believed to have met with Sport-6 owners Saverimutto and Baker within the past few weeks.

Priory Homes owner Pither, along with Kent fruit farming magnate Melvyn Newman and St Albans finance expert Gerard Day, re-ignited his interest in Cherries in October, after first coming to the fore in July when the Echo revealed the group as bidders during the club’s administration period.

Pither told the Echo two months ago: “I know there have been stories about Paul Baker not selling the club, but we’d be interested in either buying or investing.

“We would be interested in putting some money in even with Sport-6 still there, providing we could control what we were putting in and were able to make sure it was being used properly.”

And it now appears Pither’s wish to buy the club “lock stock” has been granted, with sources close to the Echo claiming Sport-6 and Bournemouth Holdings are set to discuss an offer for the club within the “next few days”.

When contacted by the Echo, chairman Baker declined to comment on the speculation, while Pither was unavailable for comment, but the Echo understands a deal could be rubber-stamped as soon as Monday.

Bournemouth Holdings was originally part of former chairman Jeff Mostyn’s bid to take Cherries out of administration earlier this year, but relations with Mostyn and business partner Steve Sly appeared to sour – leaving Pither’s consortium to launch a late bid of their own with administrator Gerald Krasner.

That bid, however, was later withdrawn.

In July, Pither appeared to have struck a deal with New Forest property firm Parkcrest Construction to purchase the land behind Dean Court’s East Stand, as well as the option on land at the South end of the ground.

But those negotiations fell through with Parkcrest citing a “lack of progress” and the New Forest firm has now submitted fresh plans for 10 homes behind the East Stand.