Gillingham have activated a release clause to bring Exeter City midfielder Timothee Dieng to Priestfield for an undisclosed fee.

League 1 club Exeter - who didn't want to sell - refer to him as the ‘silky Frenchman’ and he scored 14 goals for them last season, playing a major role in helping the team to promotion from League 2.

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He was named Exeter supporters’ player-of-the-year last season. The 30-year-old midfielder has had to make do with late substitute appearance in the last few weeks for the League 1 side, although he did find the net in the recent 4-3 win over Bristol Rovers.

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell said: "The transfer was out of our control. We didn't want Tim to leave, but Gillingham activated a release clause that was already in Tim's contract, meaning that ultimately it was Tim's decision to leave the club."

Dieng told the Gills: "I am happy to get it over the line; it happened quickly to be honest. I visited the stadium, I have seen the facilities and I've been impressed so I'm looking forward to getting started.

"I can score goals, I am good in the air and I'm going to give everything when I wear the Gillingham shirt. I can't wait to meet the fans and new team-mates."

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Dieng's been in England since joining Oldham in 2014. Two years there was followed by two at Bradford and three at Southend. He joined Exeter in the summer of 2021 and has made 59 league appearances in that time and has captained the side for a period.

Fans’ favourite Dieng said last season was his best ever, as he played a key role in Exeter’s promotion campaign. He had suffered two straight relegations with Southend before his move to the Grecians.

He said: “I kept believing in myself and working hard. Everything has an end and light at the end of the tunnel and trust my ability and it is not just me, the club helped me.”

His former boss, Matt Taylor, said last season of him: “He is outstanding in both boxes, his goal return is brilliant, and off the back of two relegations, he has over exceeded what we thought we could have got.”

Dieng will be eligible to make his Gillingham debut this Saturday at home to Hartlepool United. Newly-signed striker Tom Nichols should also feature.

A win for fellow strugglers Rochdale on Tuesday leaves the Gills six points from safety at the foot of the table.