Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond has vehemently denied that Robbie Blake is leaving Valley Parade - despite speculation that Aston Villa are set to table a £3 million offer for the striker.

The 22-year-old has been a major factor in City's Division One promotion bid and is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents in the Nationwide League.

This has led to some intensive media speculation in the past two weeks that Blake has been the subject of a number of bids from Premiership clubs.

Manager Paul Jewell rubbished claims last week that Sunderland and Middlesbrough had made £2 million offers but sources in the Midlands suggest that Villa are set to try and land Blake with a £3 million offer.

However Richmond said: "Can I please make this clear - Robbie Blake is going nowhere.

"There are two main points to this. First, we have received no bids and secondly if we had that would not change one thing.

"Robbie is happy here, we are happy with him and the supporters absolutely love him.

"It goes without saying that a player like Robbie Blake is undoubtedly going to attract the interest of the best clubs in the land.

"But this club is ambitious and I want to say there is no possibility whatsoever of this club doing anything that will damage our bid for promotion in any way.

"There has been no contact with Aston Villa and the point of all this is we want Robbie playing against Aston Villa next season for Bradford City.

"We are looking to strengthen our side, not weaken it."

Richmond also fiercely criticised former manager Chris Kamara for the initial rumour in his weekly column with the Sun ten days ago that the Bantams had turned down a £2 million bid from an unnamed Premiership club.

Kamara subsequently apologised last weekend after hearing how strongly his story had been denied by the club.

However the City chief said: "I do not believe it is any coincidence that Robbie Blake has had his three worst games of the season since that untrue and unsettling column appeared.

"At the end of the day, Robbie is a young lad and this is understandably unsettling for him. And we feel particularly aggrieved that the start of all this is an ex-manager's column. Because he used to manager Bradford City, it gives total credence to an untrue story."

The outstanding game against Port Vale away will now take place on Tuesday, April 13, kick off 7.45pm.

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