Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has identified Bournemouth attacker Jayden Stockley as the big man to bolster his attacking options.
The six ft two ins tall 22-year-old will be released by the Premier League Cherries at the end of the season and has impressed during a loan spell at English League Two club Exeter City this season.
Stockley made his Bournemouth debut as a 15-year-old and has been loaned to a succession of lower league clubs in England including Accrington, Cambridge, Torquay, Luton and Leyton Orient.
He made his mark with Exeter this season with 10 goals in 22 appearances and Grecians manager Paul Tisdale has already made two contract offers to the Poole-born attacker.
He said: “Jayden has done particularly well and he is likely to have plenty of options available to him, but we would like to keep him.
“He has scored some important goals for us and added to our attacking options.
“We think he suits our style of play and our style of play suits him and, hopefully, he has enjoyed his time here and is keen to stay.”
Bournemouth would receive compensation if Stockley moves to another English club, but nothing if he comes to Scotland.
McInnes needs to reload his attack as former Scotland international David Goodwillie, on loan at Ross County, will not be offered a new contract while MK Dons loan forward Simon Church still has a year on his deal.
The MK Dons have been relegated from the Championship but Church’s future will not be resolved until after Euro 2016 and McInnes cannot afford to wait as there are only seven weeks until the first Europa League qualifier.
Church was substituted during the first half of Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by Celtic and could miss the final matches against Hearts and Ross County because of an ankle injury.
