Manasseh has criticised The Valiants for rejecting a £75k offer from Leeds, claiming the club have effectively forced McPhee to move abroad. Bratt says the club acted out of principle in rejecting Leeds' offer.
He feels the threat of a move abroad was being used to force the club into accepting a cut-price offer for their 27-goal top scorer.
Bratt said: "If players at Port Vale can go higher then we would not stand in their way. We would rather the players that want to play for Port Vale do so, but if players can go higher then it is like promotion in another job and we would assist them. However we will not bow to the tactics we have faced.
"The feedback we have had from supporters is that what we are doing is correct. We are making a moral stand."
Bratt added: "The player and the agent have the biggest say. No matter what offer we get in, if they decide to do other things there is nothing we can do to stop that. It would be nice to obtain a fee for his services and he has made it fairly obvious that he doesn't want to play for Port Vale.
"It is rather significant that neither the player, nor his agent, have made contact with Port Vale in recent weeks."
This would suggest some bitterness now felt towards McPhee and his agent, who has criticised Vale for turning down Leeds' offer.