Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth is playing it cool as the January transfer window deadline closes in – with a striker signing looking imminent.
Football League clubs have until 7pm on Monday night to complete deals for contracted players, and the Gills look set to capture Northern Ireland international striker Ronan Hale from Scottish side Ross County.
The Gills have had a couple of bids knocked back for the 27-year-old, but another offer, in the region of £250,000, looks to have achieved their aim of signing the former Birmingham City front-man.
Ainsworth will be delighted to have another attacking option at his disposal but feels his current crop is already more than capable.
“I am really happy with the squad,” he stated. “We’ve got firepower and we’ve got solidity.
“This is about my 15th [transfer] window and one of the greatest errors you can have in a transfer window is signing too many players, getting carried away because everyone else is signing players.
“You’ve got to keep your cool. It’s got to be the right one at the right price at the right time.
“I’ve got fantastic owners who will back me to the hilt and when I came in, we talked about that. They’re great and they’re very excited to see where we can go.
“But as always, the two-year plan, we want to make sure that we do it right. I think when I came in there were too many players here. That was [because of] the managers that we’d had in a short span of time. Many managers want their own players. I understand that.”
Ainsworth said players will have to leave in order to free up space in the budget and Elliott Nevitt has already left on loan for Cambridge United.
Midfielder Jonny Williams could also be a player they move on. The former Welsh international hasn’t featured recently, and the return to fitness of Euan Williams, along with the addition of Cameron Antwi, means Ainsworth is well stocked in attacking midfield options.
“We’re doing [work on trimming the squad] as much as bringing players in,” said the Gills boss.
Striker Marcus Wyllie could be another looking to leave to get minutes, but he’s been out injured recently, while defender Shad Ogie hasn’t featured of late. Players can still move to non-league teams once the window is shut.
Complicating matters could be the weekend injury to Wigan loan man Jonny Smith.
The Gills have won their last two games while playing Ainsworth’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, but he needs wingers, and Smith had been performing well as a starter. It could see the club looking to bring another wide-man in, with Forest Green’s Kyle McAllister on the radar.
His boss Robbie Savage responded to speculation last week and said: “He’s been magnificent for us but the club will have a valuation. It’s up to the [interested] clubs, if they want one of the best players in the league, they will have to make the valuation of the club.”
The Gills have found goals easier to come by in recent weeks, with Smith, Aaron Rowe and Garath McCleary the wide players used to flank either Josh Andrews or Sam Vokes in attack.
Ainsworth said: “For me, when I’ve gone to the winger system, it seems to produce some real good moments on the pitch. We’re hoping for more. We definitely want to try and hurt teams going forward.”
The Gills will have one eye on the summer, when big changes can be made, with up to 20 pros out of contract at the club and Ainsworth always prefers to do his business in between seasons.
“[This window] feels more intense,” he said. “Summer starts at the end of the season, even though you can’t sign until June. All sorts have gone on because of the January contract situation, where you’re allowed to speak to free agents and people whose contracts are up. There’s a lot of planning that goes in from January to August.
“The January window can be a little bit crazy and for some reason, is hyped up hugely, when it should just be a little bit of a tinker for your squad, not wholesale changes.
“I raise my eyebrows when I know what kind of players other clubs have signed and I’m thinking, ‘How the hell have they done that? They must be paying so much money to attract them’.
“They’re just inflating the prices for everyone else. It’s crazy sometimes. It does get very much like, ‘Just because they’ve done it, we should do it’. I think football fans get in that mindset as well. Don’t worry is what I’m saying. We’ve got enough.”
