By Kevin Redsull

It looks set to be a case of ''one striker in, one out'' for Deal Town manager Derek Hares after Stuart Vahid's decision to join Whitstable Town.

Hares, who is expecting Hythe Town’s Mo Takaloo to sign for Deal on his return from holiday, said: "Stuart rang me at the weekend and said he had been happy at Deal but that Whitstable manager Mark Munday wanted him to be his main striker for next season.

"Stuart felt that it was too good an opportunity to turn down from a Ryman League club.

"He goes with my best wishes, and I told Stuart that if things don’t work out, he will be welcome back here."

Vahid (pictured) joined Deal from Ramsgate last year and was regularly among the goals before Christmas but he was then out of action for nearly three months with a broken foot and struggled to regain full fitness on his return.

Vahid said: "I wasn’t getting much football at Ramsgate before I joined Deal and I had a brilliant time down there until I got injured.

"But I feel I have got to take this chance to have another crack at Ryman League football."

Hares is in the happy position of already having three recognised strikers in Mark Pollard, Roy Godden and Scott Holden, who has confirmed he is staying at the Charles Ground, in addition to the imminent arrival of Takaloo whose career record includes twice winning the Kent League Golden Boot award.

Hares added: "The thing about signing a player like Mo is that it can have a snowball effect because other players start to think that something must be happening at Deal if Takaloo is going there.

"Jake Eastwood, who can play in defence or midfield, is joining us from Ramsgate and I am hoping to sign another experienced Kent League midfielder."

Hares has also invited Lee Hawkins for a pre-season trial. Hawkins is a centre-half who won the Player-of-the-Year award for Thanet Sunday League side Active Signs and Hares has received good reports about him from some of his Thanet-based players.