Steve Evans is hopeful of making ‘three or four’ signings by the end of the week.

The Gills boss says he’s met up to 20 players this summer - more than once - and is confident new arrivals are imminent.

Evans confirmed he spoke to Luke Chambers, who was released by Ipswich after nine years, but the player stayed local with Colchester.

Olly Lee is the only addition so far, the midfielder joining on a free transfer from Hearts.

However, that will soon change.

“I’m hopeful by the end of the week we’ll probably have brought three or four into the building,” said Evans.

"Listen, I’m a realist, until the actual contracts are signed, sometimes it doesn’t happen for a variance of reasons.

“I’ve heard of players in the last week going for medicals at other clubs, having medicals, being in the building to sign and then sneaking out the back door and going somewhere else.

“We set our stall out who we talk to nice and early. If they drop off the radar then we have other players we’d like to speak to for that position, it’s just how every manager works.

“If the first one on the list drops, it doesn’t mean that the guy who’s second doesn’t end up better than the first choice would have been.”

Evans was interested in signing veteran Tractorboys captain Chambers, who made almost 400 appearances for the Suffolk club.

But the 35-year-old instead signed a two-year deal with Colchester in the division below.

“I met Luke Chambers several times, I think he’d have been really good for us,” said Evans.

“He chose Colchester for a variance of reasons and the one thing about Luke, we were dead straight with each other all the way down the line.

“I was straight about finance, he knew what we put to him there couldn’t be any movement in it.

“He opened himself up to us and to others who could produce better finance and therefore he had different options, not just Colchester.

"And I’m not saying he chose Colchester only for finance, I think geography plays a part as well.

“We spoke to two players that have been at Ipswich, we didn’t speak to any more than that simply because they wouldn’t have been affordable.”

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