Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Second bid likely for Addicks defender Francis
Cherries today look set to revive their interest in Simon Francis after having an initial bid rejected for the Charlton Athletic defender.[LNB] Boss Lee Bradbury is keen to add his former Southend team-mate to his squad and Cherries are likely to table an improved offer to the Addicks.[LNB] Although details of the first bid have not been disclosed, sources in south London suggest it was considered derisory by Charlton officials.[LNB] Francis, who operates predominantly as a right-back, is midway through a two-year contract after joining the Addicks for £35,000 from Southend last summer.[LNB] A former England youth international, the 26-year-old started his career as an apprentice at Bradford City before earning a £200,000 move to Sheffield United in 2004.[LNB] Alongside Bradbury, he helped Southend win promotion to the Championship in 2006, going on to make 180 appearances for the Shrimpers.[LNB] Francis played 38 times for Charlton last season and Cherries' League One rivals are understood to be hoping to recover at least their initial outlay for the player.[LNB] Speaking to the Daily Echo last night, Bradbury said: We made a bid for Simon Francis and they came back and said it wasn't near their valuation of the player.[LNB] We are reassessing the matter. We are deciding whether we want to up the bid and also seeing what else is available for that type of money.[LNB] Bradbury is also today finally hoping to put the finishing touches to the signing of Crystal Palace defender Adam Barrett.[LNB] The 31-year-old was expected to join Cherries yesterday after agreeing personal terms during a meeting with Bradbury at the Seward Stadium.[LNB] However, although the two clubs had already agreed a fee, the deal was apparently last night waiting to be rubber-stamped at the Palace end.[LNB] Barrett also played alongside Bradbury at Southend, as did former Portsmouth goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, Cherries' first summer recruit.[LNB] His arrival would bolster Cherries' central defensive resources following the departure of skipper Jason Pearce to Portsmouth, with Barrett also likely to be a leading contender to captain the club.[LNB] Meanwhile, Bradbury's players will be introduced to three new members of his |backroom staff when they return for the start of pre-season training today.[LNB] Sports therapist Dave Gardner, assistant strength and conditioning coach Jameson Mola and performance analyst Rob Page will join physio Steve Hard and conditioning coach Louis Langdown on the support team.[LNB] Cherries will start with a light running session in King's Park today before visiting Solent University for their annual VO2 max testing tomorrow.[LNB] For the latest updates and transfer news, follow the Echo's sports team on Twitter... @ohecperrett, @ohecmelly and @ohecwadley.[LNB]
