Nearly Men number thirteen: Lee Trundle
Lee Trundle’s Port Vale move – how the Valiants nearly got their man. The Welsh striker was Port Vale’s top transfer target in 2003 only for the club to be thwarted by a transfer embargo…
This occasional series profiles players that nearly signed for Port Vale only for the move to never take place…
Lee Trundle’s Port Vale move – which never happened
The Staffordshire Sentinel newspaper first reported the story on the 1st of July 2003 – Port Vale FC had reluctantly pulled out of the race to sign young Welsh striker Lee Trundle.
The 23 year-old forward had netted thirty goals in 78 starts for Wrexham but was now out of contract and available on a free transfer.
Annoyingly, the club was subject to spending restrictions following its exit from administration earlier in the year and the club were unable to free up wages for the striker.
The rest is history – Trundle went to Swansea City scoring 78 goals and earning cult status. Port Vale had to settle for veteran Adrian Littlejohn instead and by February, after a patchy run of form, manager Brian Horton had resigned.
Who knows what would have happened had the Trundle transfer been allowed to happen?