Gillingham will be up against a popular former player this weekend who manager Steve Evans admitted they couldn’t afford to sign.

Oxford United brought in attacking midfielder Sean Clare from Scottish side Hearts this summer and Evans spoke of his interest too.

Clare joined United for an undisclosed fee, ending an 18-month stay in the Scottish Premier League. He moved there from Sheffield Wednesday.

He played 21 league games for the Gills during a loan spell under former boss Steve Lovell, who was keen to make the signing permanent, but his impressive form at Priestfield meant his parent club Wednesday wanted him back involved with the first team there.

“I tried to speak to Sean and his representatives back in the summer,” Evans said.

“I spoke to Robbie Neilson, the Hearts manager, who said he wasn’t going to be in his plans.”

The finances didn’t stack up, however.

Evans said: “The numbers that were being spoken about, I said we had a very even-level dressing room, there are no big boys or little boys, it is a very level dressing room (in terms of wages).

“Sean had a stunning spell at Gillingham and we played against him (while managing Mansfield Town), of course. He is a very good player but was at a level of money we couldn’t go do.”

Speaking to the press on Thursday, Evans also commented more on Connor Ogilvie. The club said they had rebuffed an offer from a Scottish side earlier this week .

Asked whether he will be leaving ahead of the domestic window closing on the 16th, Evans said: “No chance. He is staying. A top, top club called me and asked if we would be prepared to sell, he gave me a figure, I said it was unlikely and I took that to the boss (chairman Paul Scally).

"He (Ogilvie) is part of what we are trying to do going forward. Everyone has a price and I suppose our chairman will have one on Connor but he has said he doesn’t have to go anywhere.”

Evans could still bring players in, even if that’s on short-term deals. He said there is a possibility of “one, two at a push.”

He’s reluctant to bring any more loan players in, however. He has six signed already and can only name five in a matchday squad.

He said: “I have worked with seven before and that would mean two would miss out. It would mean competition within competition but I don’t want to do that.

“The law of averages is that if you have six there might always be one struggling with form, one with a knock, different things. We have some irons in the fire.”

More on the Gills;

• Loan player missing for Gills on international duty

• Former Hull player setting into new surroundings

• Henry Woods has surprised the first-team management