Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth admits he’ll be glad when the transfer window closes as more players are linked with a move to Priestfield.
Ainsworth himself joked that he’d seen a few interesting rumours – including one that has linked the Gills with a move for Forest Green winger Kyle McAllister.
Scottish winger McAllister, 27, has scored 11 goals this season for the National League side and is out of contract in the summer.
Ainsworth was asked about Gillingham’s move for Ross County striker Ronan Hale in his weekly press conference and said: “There’s all sorts of rumours that come out. Truth, non-truths. People in the world of social media now can read many, many things.
“We’re linked with a winger from Forest Green as well. So, we’ll see how that works out! There’s all sorts going on.
“Out of respect from everybody in football and the clubs. I always keep it private.”
Hale wants the chance to play in England and the Gills have had bids rejected, according to the Scottish Championship side, who say the player will only move on their terms.
Newport County midfielder Cameron Antwi, 24, has also been linked with a move to Gillingham.
The former Blackpool and Cardiff City player came off the bench and scored against the Gills last weekend, putting the visitors 2-1 in front before the home side’s comeback win.
He’s scored five goals this season from midfield.
Ainsworth added: “These are all names that keep getting linked, yes. But at the moment, I’m really focused on the team that’s going to go to Harrogate [this Saturday].”
Barnet forward Callum Stead and Shrewsbury striker John Marquis are other names in the frame, in what is a month of heightened speculation.
Ainsworth said: “I’ll love it (when the window closes). When that window closes, and all the noise stops, and all the social media goes quiet, everyone then just scrutinises who signed for who.
“January is a mental time, and I’m a big believer that if you sign too many in January, you’ve got it wrong in the summer.
“The beauty of this place is that the owners will back me to help me out and maybe get players I was not able to get at other places when I’ve managed, just because of the circumstances of the clubs.
“Brad and Shannon (Galinson) are really excited about some of the prospects that may come in.
“I could tell you names now of people we’ve been looking at, and everyone will go, ‘Oh wow, he’s good’.
“Some of them don’t want to move down south. Some of them are way out of our price range. With some of them, the clubs don’t want them to come here. Some of them, the clubs don’t want them to come out, but they want to go out.
“It is crazy, this window, honestly. My recruitment team and everybody upstairs are working their socks off to try and make things happen.
“We’re not sat in the afternoons doing nothing. We are really trying, really working hard, and the players we will hopefully get in, will add to the squad.
“But you don’t have to necessarily bring loads in. I’m really happy with where we are.
“I’m happy with what I’ve got. To add to it will be exactly that, it’ll be adding to it. We don’t need to make wholesale changes here, like some football clubs are doing.
“Other football clubs are just going absolutely foot to the floor, just buying everyone they can, just to try and get promoted. I don’t do it that way.
“That’s me. I definitely do it a decent way because we’ve had success in the past.
“We are not far away at this football club. There’s not wholesale changes to be made. There is small tweaks to be made, and hopefully I can do that.
“Believe me, we are trying, but I’ve got to focus on what’s within, what’s in the building as well. Those players are very important too.”
