Rochdale boss Steve Parkin has confirmed his interest in Chester's Michael Branch.
Rochdale boss Steve Parkin has confirmed his interest in Chester striker Michael Branch.The 27-year-old has been frozen out of the Chester starting line-up this season, with boss Mark Wright making it clear that he does not figure in the club's plans.
Speculation about a possible switch to Spotland has been growing for the past few weeks, but Parkin has stayed quiet on the subject until now.
"I have been interested in Michael for some time and we have made another enquiry about his availability," he admitted.
"We got permission from Chester to speak to him last week but we are still waiting for him to get back to us.
"There is nothing more to add than that."
Any deal would have to be in the form of an initial loan with a view to a permanent move.
Meanwhile, Chester have approached Bolton about the availability of Johann Smith.
The 19-year-old has been tipped for a bright future after impressing in several reserve games for The Trotters, and City chairman Stephen Vaughan is hopeful of securing him on loan.
"He came through the American college system and is highly thought of by the staff at Bolton," Vaughan told Chester's official website.
"Hopefully they will allow him to join us on a temporary basis."
