Manager Neil Harris on staying patient while building a new squad at Gillingham

Gillingham manager Neil Harris is in no panic over new signings.

While some clubs are making their move in the market quickly, the Gills are having to be patient and Harris has accepted it will take time.

A number of players are in discussions with the Gills, with up to 15 needed this summer, but as yet none have got over the line.

Harris said: “I know fans are desperate, they hear me talk about passion and drive and energy and who are we going to get? It is going to take all summer.

“I am very impatient person, especially with football, I want my players in for the start of pre-season if possible but I have to accept it is not going to happen.

“We have to cut our cloth accordingly and wait for agents to stop playing games and try and get players in. If we can just add over the coming weeks that would be brilliant but realistically we know we are going to have to wait for four or five until probably July.

“We would like to do our business early but is that realistic? I have got my head around that if I have a group of 12-14 on June 22 in the building [when the players report back for pre-season training] that I really want that is a really good start and then still working towards four or five, or six.

“We also have the ability to take lads in over the course of pre-season to have a look at them and for them to look at us.”

In recent seasons the Gills have been busy in the summer transfer window but none of their 10 new signings last year arrived before June.

Talks have been positive with players since the 2021/22 campaign ended but Harris won’t get all of his top picks. He’s got lists of first choice, second and possibly third in different areas.

He said: “There was one player we got close to, but it is very unlikely it