Oh, Mr Porter!

FREE AGENT... striker Chris Porter.

ATHLETIC are said to be considering a dramatic swoop for Chris Porter, four years after the striker left the club under a cloud.

Reports across the border suggest the 27-year-old is the subject of a two-way battle between the Boundary Park outfit and Aberdeen.

Porter is currently a free agent following his summer release from Derby County, where he made just 25 starts in two-and-a-half injury-hit years at the Championship outfit.

After netting 22 goals in the 2006-07 campaign, he signed a contract with Motherwell much to the anger of Athletic officials, who claimed FIFA rules entitled them to a fee as the player was not moving abroad and was under 24 at the time.

However, the governing body viewed it as a ‘cross-border’ transfer and he departed for free.

Two successful years at the Fir Park Stadium could not be replicated at Derby and Porter could be on the way back to his old stomping ground with boss Paul Dickov in the hunt for a goalscorer.

The move would more than likely result in a mixed reaction at best from supporters, many of whom have not forgiven him for the manner in which he left.

Towering striker Liam Dickinson could also appear on Athletic’s radar.

The 25-year-old, who stands at 6ft 4in, has left Plymouth Argyle after just one week, citing personal issues for his departure.

Dickinson has spent most of his career in the North and is now a free agent.

Meanwhile, Matt Smith volleyed home the winner in Athletic’s 1-0 friendly win at Barclays Premier League team Blackburn Rovers behind closed doors.

Alex Cisak, Kieran Lee, Paul Black, Dean Furman, Chris Taylor and Reuben Reid featured for Dickov’s side.

In a second game Blackburn won 5-0. Jean-Yves Mvoto, Warren Feeney, Kirk Millar and Ryan Brooke were handed valuable match time for Athletic.