CREWE Alexandra would be a more likely Potteries destination than Stoke City or Port Vale in the unlikely event that Andy Cooke leaves Turf Moor this summer.

Stoke and Port Vale have today been linked with big-money moves for the Burnley striker.

But an approach from either doesn't appear to add up with neither club exactly awash with cash.

Vale, who made an aborted bid to buy Cooke last season, need to sell before they can buy.

And manager Brian Horton, who signed former Manchester City striker Carl Griffiths from Leyton Orient for £325,000 in March, said yesterday that he is not currently in the market for anyone.

Stoke don't even have a manager and certainly don't appear to have the kind of funds that would tempt Burnley do business.

Previous boss Brian Little was told last year that there was no money to spend and that situation doesn't appear to have altered at the troubled Britannia Stadium.

That's not a problem for Crewe, who sold midfielder Seth Johnson to Derby County for £3 million earlier this summer.

Alex boss Dario Gradi was linked with Stoke-born Cooke the season before last and it's thought the First Division club may renew their interest as they look to increase their firepower for the coming season.

But even though everyone has their price, the whole situation may be academic as Cooke has a further two years left on his contract at Turf Moor and would appear to be an integral part of manager Stan Ternent's plans. Burnley are on the look-out for a new striker but Ternent presumably views any new signing as an addition to his current resources rather than a replacement. The Clarets have only Cooke and Andy Payton as front-line strikers and goalscorers tend to be thin on the ground.

Cooke, certain to come into the £750,000 bracket, blew hot and cold last season on his way to chalking up double figures on the last day of the campaign.

But his 20 goals the previous year underlined his ability and his value and Burnley would need to guarantee replacing his goals before weighing up any offer that may come in.

Former Burnley winger Andy Kilner has been confirmed as Stockport County's new manager.

And one of his first bits of transfer business could be to sanction Paul Cook's permanent move from Edgeley Park to Turf Moor. The 32-year-old former England youth international, who started his career as an apprentice with the Clarets but made just a couple of first-team appearances before being released in 1986, replaces Gary Megson, who was sacked last week.

Paul Shaw, who made a big impression with Burnley during a loan spell from Arsenal during the 1994/95 season, will line up against the Clarets again next season after agreeing a new contract with Second Division Millwall.

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