Gills Linked With Pigott

League Two Gillingham are reported to be showing interest in Blues striker Joe Pigott, who is set to leave Portman Road this summer.

According to Kent Online, the 29-year-old could be the answer to the Gills’ search for a new frontman.

Maidstone-born Pigott previously had a loan spell with Gillingham in 2014, scoring once in four starts and three sub appearances.

Why Ipswich loanee and Portsmouth striker Joe Pigott wore fancy dress for an appearance on Soccer AM | The News

Pigott, whose Town career has been a big disappointment since he signed in the summer of 2021 and spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, is expected to settle the remaining year of his Blues deal.

Speaking after the Maidenhead United friendly just over a week ago, manager Kieran McKenna outlined the situation with the former AFC Wimbledon man, who hasn’t joined up with the club during pre-season training.

“Joe’s in discussion with the club,” he said. “I’ve not been involved in those discussions. Joe’s in discussions with the club about the best way forward.

“He’s had a season out on loan this year and he’s discussing with the club what’s going to be the best option for this year.”

If you're a League One manager looking for strikers, he's the right man for you.' - The Ipswich verdict on Portsmouth target Joe Pigott | The News

Ipswich Town: Conor Chaplin on Austria camp and first pre-season goal

Conor Chaplin admitted that it was important to get back on the scoresheet after bagging his first pre-season goal in Saturday’s draw against Flyeralarm Admira.

The attacking midfielder failed to find the back of the net in either of the Blues’ previous fixtures against Felixstowe & Walton and Maidenhead United, but he was on hand to score the equaliser against the former Austrian champions as his side concluded their training camp in Vienna.

Chaplin revealed his frustration that Town were unable to win the game, adding that the heat made it difficult for them to find their rhythm.

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However, he believes that they are showing a gradual improvement and will be back up to full fitness by the time the season starts in three weeks’ time.

“It’s always important to get that feeling back,” he admitted. “It’s a feeling I love, whether that’s in a pre-season game or at a packed Portman Road. It’s always nice and I enjoyed that one for sure.

“I felt like we probably should’ve won the game. On chances, we created opportunities, openings and set pieces. We really should’ve won the game.

“The goals we conceded are poor from our point of view. It’s good to iron those things out now, those mistakes. We just need to make sure that we execute a bit better in the final third because we created a lot of chances, so it was disappointing not to score more goals.”

The game was just a small part of Ipswich’s trip to the Austrian capital, with the squad being split so some players could feature in a behind-closed-doors match against Spartak Trnava earlier in the day.

Overall, Chaplin believes that the training camp will benefit the players in the long run, highlighting how important it has been to bond with his teammates in a different environment.

“It was good to carry on from last season in terms of the vibe and the rapport in the group,” he explained.

“We’ve added with personnel and they’ve fitted in seamlessly, so it’s been really good for them to come away with us and spend a lot of time with us off the back of last season so they could integrate really quickly. It’s an easy group to integrate into, to be honest.

“It’s been fun and it’s been really hard. The weather has been like this all week – cloudy at times – but in terms of temperature, it’s been like this all week.

“It’s been really enjoyable, but it’s been a tough week and we’ve rounded it off with the toughest one yet.”