Dom Jefferies' Lincoln City departure opens door to exciting Gillingham transfer opportunity: View | OneFootball

Popular midfielder departs Priestfield for League One, but could it free up space for a former fan favourite to return?

The news many Gillingham fans were expecting finally became reality when it was announced that midfielder Dom Jefferies had departed the club, moving up a division to sign for Lincoln City on a free transfer.

Jefferies' move to the Imps will provide more drive and industry to Michael Skubala's midfield, but his departure from Priestfield could potentially open the door to one of the transfer coups of the summer.

Gillingham have made no secret of their approach to the summer transfer window, with the club moving quickly in the opening days of the off-season to secure a quartet of high-quality signings to provide pace, power and, hopefully, goals to the Kent club's attack.

The signings of Elliott Nevitt, Jack Nolan, Aaron Rowe and Armani Little all provide significant upgrades in their respective positions. But the club's summer transfer business isn't done yet, with the club's CEO Joe Comper revealing earlier this summer that Gillingham had now moved into "Phase 2" of their recruitment process.

That statement sparked plenty of speculation over who could be coming into the club next, with the potential loan return of Watford's Colombian striker Jorge Hurtado just one option floated by the Gills' fanbase – and by this website. But the latest rumour to start gathering pace has linked one of the club's biggest stars of the last decade with a dramatic return to ME7.

Could Bradley Dack make a dramatic return to Gillingham?

The rumour mill started to suggest that former Gills fan-favourite Bradley Dack could be in line for a dramatic return to Priestfield in a move that would capture the imagination of the fans who remembered his performances in the late Justin Edinburgh's vibrant, attack-minded Gills side.

Dack came through the Gills' youth system and became a bonafide star at Priestfield. He hit 31 league goals and assisted for 33 more in 160 games for the Gills before heading off to Blackburn Rovers for an initial fee of £750,000.

He continued his good form at Ewood Park, netting 50 goals in 158 games for the Lancashire club during a six-year stay that saw him undergo cruciate ligament surgery in both knees. Dack joined Sunderland for the 2023/24 season, but was released at the end of the campaign.

Dack is now 30, and has had two knee reconstructions, but his quality could be seen as a major weapon by new Gillingham manager Mark Bonner - especially two levels down from what he has been playing in recent years.

And with Bonner admitting that Dack is one of a number of players he's had conversations with over the last 10 days, it seems that the club are at the very least considering a possible contract offer.

Bradley Dack: A gamble worth taking for Gillingham?

Dack likely won't come cheap for Gillingham, should a deal be negotiated. For a player who has plied his trade in the Championship for the last six seasons, moving down to League Two will be a significant drop for him, and there would need to be some give and take by both sides to strike a deal.

But, with Dack looking for his next opportunity, and the Gills looking to build a side capable of winning their way out of League Two, Dack might just be the exciting, romantic sort of gamble that could appeal to the club's owner, Brad Galinson. When fit, he'd almost certainly be among the best players in the division.

Every team needs a talisman, a player the fans can really rally behind, a difference-maker who has the quality to turn draws into wins, and losses into draws. Dack has proved to be exactly that type of player, both at Gillingham and at Blackburn, during his career. And now, with the Gills eyeing more reinforcements ahead of a promotion tilt in 2024/25, their former playmaker and fan-favourite is back on the market.

Dack's injury history would be a concern, as would his wages. But, if a deal could be struck to suit both parties, the prospect of Dack returning to ME7 to don Gillingham blue once again would raise the excitement and anticipation levels around Priestfield Stadium ahead of what could be a huge season for the Kent club.

It's a long shot, but sometimes long shots pay off.