Posh chase Mclean as striker edges to City exit

The 31-year-old, the club’s top earner, was told he could leave Valley Parade by manager Phil Parkinson towards the end of last month.

Portsmouth and Luton Town made enquiries about Mclean, but were told the striker was not keen to return to League Two, a level at which he last played in 2008.

That alerted Posh, who have since followed up their initial interest with a firm offer. Mclean is keen to return to a club where he scored 71 goals in 157 games, but no deal has been struck due to City being unhappy with the percentage of the striker’s weekly wage that Peterborough are willing to pay.

Manager Parkinson said: “We had two offers from League Two clubs but Aaron wants to stay in this division. Peterborough have made an offer and the two chairmen are discussing that with Barry Fry.

“We will see what happens but the money Peterborough were offering was not as much as that the two League Two clubs were willing to pay.”

Mclean joined the Bantams from Hull City last January in the wake of Nahki Wells moving across West Yorkshire to Huddersfield Town.

He took 11 games to get off the mark and has still managed just seven goals. The last of those came on September 16 in City’s shock 2-1 win at Milton Keynes Dons.

Meanwhile, Parkinson has admitted to being relieved that James Hanson’s thigh problems have cleared up sufficiently for the striker to be in the squad to face Preston North End.

In the wake of Bradford beating FC Halifax Town in the FA Cup first round last Sunday, the City manager admitted to being so concerned about Hanson that he would be given until the middle of the week to prove his fitness or be sent away for intensive treatment at the Football Association’s St George’s Park national football centre.

However, after assessing the striker in training, Parkinson added: “James is a lot better and doing much better than he was last week.

“He is a big player for us so to have him back around the squad is a big boost for everyone.”