Cobblers unlikely to follow up interest in Port Vale midfielder Grant

Port Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite took to the airwaves of BBC Radio Stoke on Tuesday, declaring that the Cobblers had made a ‘pathetic’ offer for the Valiants’ player of the year.

Grant is obviously a player new Town boss Rob Page knows well, having signed him and managed him at Vale Park last season, and it makes sense that he would be interested in trying to entice him to Sixfields - especially as the player handed in a transfer request on Monday.

Smurthwaite made the Cobblers’ interest in Grant very public, when he said: “I don’t think it’s appropriate (to say what our asking price is) but I think his agent has been hawking him around the whole of the Football League considering some of the calls I’ve been receiving.

“Northampton put an offer in with Rob Page which is pathetic - it wasn’t enough to fuel my car for a year.

“I don’t want to sell him. He’s under contract and he’s a footballer.

“He can’t do anything else and who knows what will be the case in a year’s time. He might have been forgotten about.

“He is a good player and he’s not been an ounce of trouble.

“It’s nothing to do with the manager or the regime change, it’s to do with money.”

The Cobblers are refusing to comment on the Grant situation, but the Chron understands that an enquiry was made about the player, but that they are not willing to meet Port Vale’s inflated valuation.

Former Crewe, Stevenage, Luton, Southend, Wycombe and Oldham man is 29 and played 45 times for Vale in Sky Bet League One last season, scoring twice.

He played the first 60 minutes for Vale in their pre-season friendly at home to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, receiving a warm reception from the home supporters.