Gillingham join Lincoln City in transfer chase for 24-year-old | OneFootball

After looking in real trouble at the halfway stage of the 2022-23 League Two season, fresh investment for Gillingham saw them comfortably climb to safety to spend a second consecutive campaign in the fourth tier of English football.

It did look as though the Kent outfit may have suffered back to back relegations into the National League, but the arrival of American businessman Brad Galison, who purchased a majority stake in the club in January, saw a turnaround in fortunes.

Gillingham finished in 17th position in the end after winning 12 of their 24 league matches in 2023 and the recruitment of players such as Tom Nichols, Oliver Hawkins and Timothee Dieng in the January transfer window among others contributed to that.

Neil Harris will be keen to mount a promotion push in the 2023-24 season, and he looks set to try and bolster his midfield as Sunday Mirror Sports Editor Darren Witcoop has revealed that the club are keen on signing Sutton United midfielder Alistair Smith this summer.

Smith has been in talks with Lincoln City recently in regards to a move up the EFL pyramid into League One, but the Gills are set to throw their hat into the ring.

Who is Alistair Smith?

Smith came through the ranks at Mansfield Town but failed to really get a chance with the Stags, making his debut in November 2018 at the age of 19 in the EFL Trophy.

After making just 16 appearances for Town in all competitions, Smith joined Altrincham of the National League on loan in November 2020 but that quickly became a permanent move in January 2021, scoring three times in 30 outings for the Greater Manchester outfit.

His form caught the attention of Sutton though, who were promoted to League Two in 2021 and snapped Smith up for an undisclosed fee.

Smith scored five times and notched three assists in League Two last season for Sutton, following on from his nine-goal haul in all competitions in 2021-22, and that has caught the attention of other clubs with his contract coming to an end at Gander Green Lane this summer.

Smith seems to be on the rise in League Two and at the age of 24, he may only get better.

Gillingham did bring in midfielders George Lapslie and Timothee Dieng over the course of the January transfer window earlier in the year, but Smith could add more of an attacking outlet to the engine room.

The only stumbling block may be the fact that Lincoln have been in negotiations with Smith and they are a club that like to give promising talents a chance - and they are of course in a league higher than the Gills.

Neil Harris will clearly have some money to spend this summer though but it remains to be seen if he can tempt Smith to the Priestfield Stadium.