The interest in Gillingham’s two young defenders hasn’t died down.

Last season’s sensation Jack Tucker and the ever-improving Connor Ogilvie are both being tracked by bigger clubs.

“It has not died down, it is the opposite,” said manager Steve Evans.

“I had a weekend of it where managers or heads of recruitment were picking up the phone and they want to talk about their character.

“The chairman obviously wants to be adding to the Tuckers and the Ogivlies and I was the one who said, ‘every player has their value’.

I obviously don’t want that value reached, I want them playing for us, but when you work with lads all year and you have the one on ones in the office and you coach them and work with them you always talk about that desire and hunger to play as high as they possibly can.

“The nice thing is we are not in a position where we have to have a fire sale. Probably some clubs in the next few months might be but the chairman assured me we are not in that position.”

Evans has said that representatives from “three or four clubs” have been in touch for both players, individually.

He said: “Different clubs have been asking about different players, they have asked me about values, but it doesn’t work like that, they have to put a value on it and we go from there.

“Am I expecting them to be wearing Gills shirts in 20/21? Yes I am, but we have turned down good money for Jack Tucker and for Connor Ogilvie back in January, and certainly one of those clubs are back already and three others have joined in by asking about them.

“It is a long way to leaving a football club as a player to someone asking about you, we will see where that goes.”

Evans has been talking recruitment with Gills chairman Paul Scally in the last few days.

He said: “The chairman was very positive about the players I presented to him, surprised at one or two, some he didn’t know, but it is not his job to know them it is his job to make sure I do.”

Many clubs are releasing players and Evans has already been linked to a few, including Forest Green’s departed defender Farrend Rawson. He was on loan under Evans at Rotherham.

Rawson was at the centre of controversy during his time there. The Millers were deducted points after an admin error led to him playing a game when he wasn’t registered.

That aside, Evans has said he’s not interested, commenting: “He isn’t one we are looking at.”

Four of the six Peterborough players recently released were Evans’ signings when he was at London Road, including goalkeeper Aaron Chapman.

He said: “I love big Aaron Chapman, he was tremendous for me, but the reality is we have Bonham and Walsh.”

Evans could have more of an idea of what he has to spend following a board meeting at the club tomorrow (Friday).

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