Gillingham’s hunt for a goalscorer in the January transfer window could be hampered by “out of control” spending from other clubs.
The Gills are on the lookout for a striker who knows how to find the back of the net, but money talks and manager Gareth Ainsworth admits they need a lot of it if they want to get a seasoned finisher.
His side are just about keeping in touch with the leading teams in League 2 – six points outside the play-off places after Monday night’s draw with Colchester United – but missed chances are costing them, and the manager is keen to put it right now the transfer window is open.
“I know what’s missing, and I’m trying, but we’ll see where it goes,” said the Gills boss.
“If we could bring one in who we know will come in and score goals, I think it would be stupid not to.
“I’ve got names. I’ve got targets. There’s so many factors in that, whether you can get them or not.
“It’s becoming tougher and tougher to sign these top strikers. It really is.
“There are some teams in our league spending a lot of money and can probably outbid us and out-trump us.
“Believe me, there are some teams in the National League which are spending big money to try and get back into the league or into the league for the first time. They’re spending crazy money as well.
“There’s a big queue for any striker, and at the moment, as well, the finances, honestly, they go out of control. Not ours, we’re fine, but when you hear about the fees paid for players and what other teams are paying players, wow, it’s gone a little bit out of control.
“We’ve got to make sure that we don’t put people in jeopardy, put too much pressure on somebody, but still get that quality striker in there. We’ll see how that goes.
“There’s plenty of things going on there, balancing out to the transfer market.
“We don’t want to get carried away. Brad and Shannon (Galinson, the majority owners) have been fantastic with me and fantastic with the football club.
“We can’t just expect them to keep shelling out and shelling out just because everyone else is.
“We’ve got to find a way to make it a financially good deal as well as a football good deal.”
Ainsworth brought in experienced striker Sam Vokes and the club paid an undisclosed amount for Seb Palmer-Houlden when he moved from Bristol City. Both arrived in the summer.
Elliott Nevitt, Marcus Wyllie and Josh Andrews, who were already at the club, complete the forward options for Ainsworth but none of them have so far managed to be regular goal-getters.
The Gills boss is halfway through his first full season in what is a two-year plan, one where he hopes to get the club moving in the right direction.
He may opt for a loan move to get them through this season before nailing down a permanent recruit in the summer. It’s all up for discussion.
He said: “Loans, permanents, non-leagues, leagues above, Championship players who aren’t in the teams, all that. We’re covering everything.
“But it’s tough, it really is. If was easy, everyone would do it, but that’s football management.”
Ainsworth is thinking short-term and long-term with the players they are looking at.
He said: “Long-term plans is what we’ve talked about at this place but [it’s] whether there may be a stop-gap until the end of the season to try and help us in our plight to get higher in the league.
“But long-term is where I’m looking at. Somebody to come in over the next few years to be that talisman, but they’re hard to get and expensive.
“Or if you get one that’s an unknown or one that’s a chance or a punt, they don’t always work and then you get stick.
“It’s a pretty tough situation, but we’re working on it with the recruiting team and trying to get the right one in.”
Ainsworth, meanwhile, has hinted at a new deal for young left-sided player Lenni Cirino.
Summer signing Cirino, 22, was on the verge of breaking into the team for a regular crack at the left-back role before getting injured.
His deal runs out in January but could get another chance to impress.
Ainsworth said: “We’re talking to Lenni about it.
“He was just about to get into the team, because it was his chance but he got injured in training, actually playing at left-back in the team.
“These things happen in football. Hopefully we’ll see better of him in the second half of the season.”
Cirino’s made just two league starts but scored on his debut in the 4-1 win over Chesterfield. He picked up a red card in the EFL Trophy defeat at Colchester in October.
Gillingham will also review their current loan deals. Jonny Smith (Wigan) is fit to play but wasn’t selected in the squad on Monday.
Injuries have not helped Smith, who has been limited to just six league appearances, showing glimpses of what he can do, including a super solo goal against Newport in September.
Watford central defender Travis Akomeah has recently broken into the team, with a trio of starts, but he hasn’t featured in the squad since Conor Masterson returned from injury.
With Masterson, Shad Ogie, Sam Gale, Andy Smith and Robbie McKenzie an option at centre-half, the Gills are well stocked in that position.
