Negotiations are under way with four of Gillingham’s senior players.

Max Ehmer, Brandon Hanlan, Mika Mandron and Regan Charles-Cook are all in talks over extending their stay with the Gills.

Their contracts are due to expire at the end of this month.

Manager Steve Evans met with each of them on Monday to outline his plans for the 2020/21 season and will now leave the contract talks to take place with their representatives and the club.

Evans said: “We haven’t got a date yet to restart but there are already formal offers out there and talking around it. The process started on Monday.

“I had a brilliant meeting with the chairman on Friday and for part of Saturday and we went through some key bits. We then had them in to talk individually.

“The lads understand via their own eyes and ears and from speaking to other players and what other clubs are saying.

“We would be very foolish to throw sums of money about when we don’t know when we are starting but the conversations around packages and agreements are starting and that will progress quite quickly.”

Youngster Henry Woods is also likely to receive a contract offer but the club are currently focussing on their four senior players.

Woods is likely to be sent out on loan next season to further his progression.

Evans said: "Henry falls into the group where he is an under-23 player. He will get treated with respect but our focus and time has to go towards players that will make a difference now."

The manager also confirmed that a handful of young players have left, including Ben Allen, Emmanuel Fernandez and TJ Bramble.

He said: "We assessed them all and let me say it first, they are all lovely kids, if they were my own boys I would be proud, lovely people. But we are going to have a 20-man squad and we need to make sure that any youngsters that come around us have to be capable of coming in and playing a part in the first team.

"We will get injuries and suspensions. Henry Woods can come off the bench and play and nobody would blink. Is he an Alfie Jones, a Stuart O’Keefe or an Olly Lee? No, not at the minute, but he is young, he can come in and be around it and those are the type of people we need."

The Gills manager, meanwhile, has been watching on as the play-offs take place in League 2 which has only made him wish they were playing too.

"We should have played." he said. "We should have gone for it.

"Our chairman did eventually vote against (playing) but it was 10 weeks later, we were up for it but time beat us, nothing else."

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