Whether or not a player who has scored 162 Premier League goals would fancy playing against the likes of Yeovil and Cheltenham remains to be seen but Bratt was prepared to take a chance on the move.

He said: “We’ve approached Robbie Fowler’s agent to see whether he would be interested in playing for Port Vale.

“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.

“I believe Cardiff are offering him £8,000 a week and we can’t match that. But it’s a chance for us as far as I’m concerned. We’ve asked the question and if the answer’s no, it’s no.”

Vale’s average home attendance was just 4,724 last season as they finished 12th in League One but Bratt hopes that the lure of regular football in Martin Foyle’s starting line-up may persuade him to move to Vale Park.

Bratt said: “I believe he has other offers but he may fancy the club and it may be something he wants to do.

“You don’t go from being a brilliant player to a bad player overnight and we think he would be a superb addition for us.

“We can offer him regular football and at his age that may be what he is looking for. We have enquired about his availability and we have to wait for his agent to get back to us before we can discuss terms.”

Fowler’s agent George Scott told the Sentinel: “I’ve had many a good night in Stoke-on-Trent, so you never know.

“Robbie is ruling nothing out, especially if it is an ambitious club and he can see himself going there and taking them up to a new level.”