Gillingham target Alfie May joins League 1 Charlton Athletic from Cheltenham Town

Gillingham’s attempts to land Cheltenham striker Alfie May are over after Charlton Athletic confirm his signature.

May, 30, scored 20 goals in League 1 last season but was keen to move on which led to a host of teams battling for his signature. Gills were in pole position last week before Charlton made their move with an offer that Cheltenham accepted.

The deal was wrapped up on Friday, which sees May move to Charlton and the Gills moving onto other options.

May’s move into the Football League came after scoring for fun at Hythe Town, having previously been with the likes of Chatham and VCD. From Doncaster Rovers he moved onto Cheltenham in December 2020 and became a fans’ favourite thanks to his scoring exploits.

In January there was talk of a possible move to the Gills but nothing materialised. When it became apparent he was open to a move this summer - despite being in contract - there were moves at Priestfield to make a deal.

A bid from the Gills was reportedly in the region of £200,000, the kind of money Cheltenham had been seeking, but then Bristol Rovers also became involved after the dealings were well publicised. Charlton eventually got the deal over the line.

Gillingham won’t be too disheartened, however. A deal for May was always going to be tough, particularly with the likes of League 1 sides Charlton and Derby County also interested.

There’s interest from the club in other strikers - Harris wants a winger and a forward as they target four more recruits - and they have plenty of time to do some business, with the start of the League 2 season a month away.

May could well be facing the Gills later this month when Charlton head to Priestfield for a friendly on Tuesday, July 18.