Gillingham have turned down offers for their top performers this summer.

Steve Evans revealed there’s been interest in his players but chairman Paul Scally has held firm.

“There’s no doubt the chairman’s had offers, the detail behind those offers, I don’t get into,” said manager Evans.

“There’s been offers out for two or three players and he’s said no.

“He’s told me to prepare for the season with those guys and I’m delighted because they’re really good players.

“We’ve lost one or two who were out of contract, that can happen, but I’m hopeful and assured that we’ll start the season with them.

“We’ve made it clear to three or four lads involved that our intention was to build with them in the summer.

“We’ve had enough disruption.”

Evans is also a realist and knows Gillingham would find it hard to resist big money for any of their players.

He added: “The other side of the coin, of course, as I’ve always believed in all my career as a manager, is that every player in the world has a value.

“If someone comes forward and makes our chairman an offer that is screaming this is great business for Gillingham Football Club, he would not be doing his duty to the club and the fans if he didn’t make it happen because you have to take the security for the football club.

“But at the minute he tells me, thanks to the fans, we’re in positive shape and we don’t need to do that.”

Gillingham have signed Ben Reeves and Max Ehmer this week and Evans continues to work hard on new arrivals.

He’s used the loan market to good effect in the past two years and has at least put the feelers out again.

Evans said: “We’ve not many any inroads on loan players other than to make those football clubs aware that we’d have an interest in taking them on loan when we get into starting pre-season.

“At the minute those clubs are not really spending too much time concentrating on the younger players, that’s no disrespect, the concentration will be on getting those clubs ready for first-team action, so we have to respect that.

“There’s a couple of things bubbling that we’re trying to do but at the minute we have to concentrate on free agents.”

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