PAUL Baker is today hoping to reach a satisfactory conclusion regarding the new owners of AFC Bournemouth but says the club's future is still "in limbo".

Baker, who invested in Sport-6 before purchasing Cherries with Alastair Saverimutto in July, has confirmed he has been in lengthy talks with two interested parties.

And although Baker said he was not at liberty to reveal the identity of the prospective buyers, chief executive Saverimutto has told the Daily Echo one is from the Middle East.

The second party is understood to be a consortium headed by former Cherries director Adam Murry, which has the support and backing of ex-chairman Jeff Mostyn.

However, Murry's group is understood not to include ex-Premiership footballers Matthew Le Tissier and Jamie Redknapp, both known supporters of the Murry Foundation.

Speaking to the Daily Echo earlier today, co-owner Baker said: "We've got two definite options on the table.

"Option A (the Middle East party) is everybody's preferred route but we realise it's more likely at the moment that we're going to have to go down the option B route, with looking at possibily bringing option A in at any given time. It's just taking a long time for it to happen."

Asked whether the club's short-term financial position was becoming a concern to him, Baker replied: "Massively."

He added: "Like I said at the end of December, I've got no more funds to put into the football club and that situation hasn't changed. Either of these two options would sort out the situation so I will try to get this resolved today."

Saverimutto has been in talks with potential new investors ever since Murry failed to form a consortium ahead of a January 31 deadline, which was set by the club's current owners.

Speaking to the Daily Echo last night, Saverimutto said: "The party that I have been in frontline negotiations with since the end of January is a party in the Middle East.

"The representatives of this party are jumping through hoops and have agreed, in principle, a deal. Funds have been highlighted as becoming available at a point in time which is not a million miles off. The interim period is the period we have got to overcome.

"I've been working since Friday with these people to put in place an interim financial package that takes the football club from a dangerous perilous position in advance of the monies coming through at a time designated by the contract.

"These monies were discussed and confirmed at the weekend but had not come in at a time when we understood they were going to and will now be coming in after a date we expected them.

"At this point, while there is turmoil at the football club off the field with regard to investment, it doesn't stop me from concentrating and remaining focused on securing the long-term future of the football club."