Five bizarre Port Vale transfer rumours

Five bizarre Port Vale transfer rumours

5. Tom Pope to move to Stoke City (2014)

With the gap between the Premier League and the Football League ever widening it seemed bizarre that our neighbours (then in the top tier) would turn to a lower league striker, especially one who was a life-long Vale fan and who presumably would have severe doubts about turning out for the local rivals. Naturally, this rumour went nowhere…

4. QPR and Sheff Utd bid £250,000 for Stuart Tomlinson (2010)

This was another seemingly random story generated by a journalist. Stuart Tomlinson had supplanted Chris Martin as the club’s number one choice goalkeeper but was merely four months into his Port Vale career and therefore highly unlikely to be that highly rated by bigger clubs. The move never transpired and Tomlinson was released two years later. He later became a wrestler.

3. Paladini woos Fabrizio Ravanelli and Craig Burley (2004)

The period when Gianni Paladini attempted to take control of the club was memorable for several events including this one. According to press reports at the time, the agent had promised to bring both players to the club and would be installing Ravanelli as player-manager to boot. Perhaps it was no bad thing the deal didn’t happen. In his sole managerial appointment in the French Leagues, the “white feather” managed a mere 8% win ratio.

2. Robbie Fowler to sign (2007)

Was it simply a PR stunt by then Chairman Bill Bratt or was there really a realistic chance of the Liverpool legend joining the club in 2007? Bratt wasn’t afraid to speak to the press about the move stating at the time that “We obviously can’t afford to pay him what other clubs can but he’s a very wealthy man anyway and we hope he may want to play for the pleasure of it,” he optimistically stated. As Fowler never entered the home dressing room at Vale Park we presume his answer was a negative one.

1. Mario Balotelli opts for Ribeiro’s Vale side (2017)

Perhaps the most bizarre story of the lot was the link with Mario Balotelli in 2017. According to the story, the striker had turned to Jose Mourinho (no, we’ve no idea why he would either!) for advice on his next career move. And in an even more unlikely twist, the Sun claimed that Jose had recommended his friend Bruno Ribeiro’s Port Vale side as an ideal next move. Sadly for tabloid journalists everywhere, the move never happened.

There have been plenty of odd Port Vale rumours over the years. Did we miss one you think should have been on the list? Post a comment below and let us know.