Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth has made his first signing – and it’s a striker.
The Gills have signed 21-year-old Seb Palmer-Houlden on a three-year-deal from Championship side Bristol City for an undisclosed fee.
The move is subject to EFL and FA approval and the forward will join the Gills officially on June 1.
Palmer-Houlden has been with Bristol City since the age of eight, progressing through their academy.
He said: “I am so excited to be here and can’t wait for the season to start and get going.
“I like to get fans off their seats, I like to press high, get in behind and score goals. I am looking forward to meeting the boys.”
Ainsworth added: “Seb is a player we have been looking at for a while now and there was a lot of competition for his signature.
“We managed to sort everything quickly and I am delighted to have him with us.
“He has a bright future in the game, he’s quick, hardworking, and knows where the goal is. I think all Gills fans will enjoy watching him.”
He spent last season on loan at Scottish side Dundee where he netted nine goals in 39 league and cup games and has previously had loan spells at Chippenham Town, Yeovil Town and Newport County.
He was named young player-of-the-year after spending the 2023/24 season at Newport, when he also extended his contract with Bristol City to run until the summer of 2027.
The season before that, Palmer-Houlden scored 21 goals for Bristol City’s academy side.
During the past season, he helped Dundee avoid relegation from the Scottish Premiership. Palmer-Houlden started the season with a flurry of goals, five in his first six appearances.
His first SPL goal came against rivals Dundee United. He picked up a knee injury in February which kept him out for over a month but he returned for the season run-in, with Dundee finishing just outside the bottom two.
