League Two outfit Gillingham have quickly moved on to other striker targets, with the club now being linked with a move to sign out-of-favour Ipswich Town forward Joe Pigott, according to Kent Online.
The 29-year-old striker is expected to leave the recently promoted Championship outfit this summer following a season-long loan at League One side Portsmouth in the previous campaign.
The Gills are after a forward this summer after reportedly missing out on both Alfie May and Dipo Akinyemi to Charlton Athletic and York City respectively.
Who is Joe Pigott?
Born in Maidstone, Pigott started his career with Charlton Athletic after being offered a professional deal with the club in January 2012. During his time with the Addicks, the forward would be sent out on loan to the likes of Bromley, Gillingham, Newport County, Southend United and Luton Town before leaving the club in 2016, making 17 appearances and scoring once.
A move to Cambridge United followed for the 16/17 season in which he would make 17 appearances in total for the club, before heading out on loan to Maidstone United for the second half of the campaign, with the move being made permanent at the end of the season.
Pigott would find the net on 18 occasions in 47 total appearances for Maidstone, before heading to AFC Wimbledon in 2018 in what would be his most successful spell at a football club. In three years at AFC Wimbledon, Pigott went on to make 157 appearances for the club, scoring 54 goals as he earnt a move to Ipswich Town in 2021.
Struggling to make an impact at Portman Road after only scoring three goals in 29 appearances, the forward would then make the switch to Portsmouth on loan for the 22/23 campaign, in which he would bag seven goals in 44 appearances for Pompey.
The hunt for a forward continues
It’s been evident that Gillingham are in a search of a new striker ahead of the brand new season, with reported targets Alfie May and Dipo Akinyemi opting to sign for both League One side Charlton Athletic and National League outfit York City respectively.
Striker aside, Neil Harris’ side has already been getting to work in bringing in new players to Priestfield, with defender Conor Masterson signing on a permanent deal from QPR, as well as the arrivals of full-back Max Clark and attacking midfielder Jonny Williams from both Stevenage and Swindon Town respectively.
The Gills are looking to build on their 17th-place finish in the previous campaign, with the club winning 14 out of their 46 games last season, as well as picking up 55 points in total.
Writer’s View
With Gillingham very much on the lookout for a striker, I feel someone like Joe Pigott would suit them brilliantly. As much as he’s struggled for goals over the past couple of years, it’s been proven in the past with AFC Wimbledon that he can be a prolific forward, especially in League Two.
I think if the Gills were to go in for him and eventually get him, as mentioned, I think it would represent excellent business all around, with Ipswich keen on moving him on, with Gillingham keen to fill the void up front.
