PAUL Baker last night confirmed that a bid had been lodged to buy Cherries and then reiterated his desire to quickly conclude the club’s takeover saga.

The Cherries co-owner told the Echo last week that seven parties had declared an interest in purchasing the club since League Two status was secured last month.

And things have moved forward since the season ended on Saturday, with a new offer being tabled for the Dean Court outfit.

Confidentiality agreements prevent Baker from revealing the identity of the bidder or details of the offer, but he did expand on how he hopes the next few weeks will unfold, with an end to Cherries’ long-running takeover talks possibly in sight.

“I’d love to say that, by the end of May, a deal has been agreed in principle and then ownership could be handed over the following month,” he told the Echo.

“That’s the ideal situation we want to be in.

“It’s up to the individual party how long it takes but I think everyone wants the ownership saga over as soon as possible.

“Nobody wants it to drag on. If you want to buy the club, you’ve got to be in a position to complete a deal at the earliest opportunity.”

Although no other firm bids have materialised since Baker dispatched confidentiality agreements and financial information packs to interested parties, he does expect further offers to come in.

The Chester-based businessman confirmed that he would be available to discuss matters with possible purchasers in the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Baker met with Football League officials yesterday to update them on the situation.

When asked about the summit, he said: “The meeting went well. We cleared up some issues that needed to be cleared up. We’re doing what we need to do.”

The need for Cherries’ off-field problems to be resolved as soon as possible became clearer on Wednesday, when manager Eddie Howe revealed that he does not know the budget he will have to work with next season.

With the club’s ownership still to be sorted out, Howe cannot press ahead with his team-building plans because he is unable to finalise deals for out-of-contract players or possible transfer targets.

One player Howe may have been keen to sign is Rhoys Wiggins, the young left-back who impressed while on loan in Dorset at the back end of the season.

But the 21-year-old’s parent club Crystal Palace have offered him a new deal, which could end Cherries’ chances of landing him on a permanent basis.