Gillingham have won the race for Ross County’s Ronan Hale, while facing competition from League One and their own divisional rivals.
The Gills’ pursuit of Hale has been persistent throughout January. Just over two weeks ago, reports stated that the Kent club had an initial bid of £200,000 rejected, with the Scottish Championship side not wanting to part ways with the striker.
Since the player submitted a transfer request, reports today from Football League World have stated that a deal has been agreed between the two clubs, with a medical set to take place.
Gillingham Beat Wigan Athletic and Salford City For Hale
It is no surprise to see Gillingham prioritising a striker this window, with their midfielders Bradley Dack and Armani Little leading the scoring charts while strikers Sam Vokes, Josh Andrews, and Elliott Nevitt have not quite hit the heights expected.
Sitting in 12th and chasing the League Two play-offs, scoring on a regular enough basis has been a struggle for Gareth Ainsworth’s men this season, who have drawn 11 league fixtures – the joint most in the division.
For Ross County, Hale has been an excellent goalscorer for the club since joining in 2024. Returning 30 goals in 68 appearances, while putting up some excellent goal tallies in Northern Ireland for the likes of Cliftonville and Larne before his move to Scotland.
Additionally, the striker’s form has caught the eye of Northern Ireland manager, Michael O’Neill, making his international debut last June during a 1-0 win over Iceland.
Now set to feature in the EFL, Hale could be the talisman Gillingham have needed for years.
Wigan Athletic and Salford City were also in pursuit of the striker, with the latter having caught headlines after securing Fleetwood Town’s Ryan Graydon in a deal with up to £600,000, while Joe Taylor has joined the Latics.
Ronan Hale’s Record Over the Years:
- 2025-26, Ross County: 26 appearances, 12 goals
- 2024-25, Ross County: 42 appearances, 18 goals
- 2023-24, Cliftonville: 31 appearances, 22 goals
- 2022-23, Cliftonville: 48 appearances, 28 goals
- 2021-22, Larne: 43 appearances, 15 goals
(All competitions, sourced from FotMob)
Hale to Bring Goalscoring Prowess to Gillingham
Goalscoring has been a struggle for Gillingham for a number of years.
Often one of the more defensively solid sides in League Two, signings at the top-end of the pitch haven’t often hit the ground running at Priestfield.
However, Hale’s record over the years is that of a natural goalscorer, suggesting that any continuation of his prowess shown over the years could blast the Gills into the League Two play-off picture.
Currently seven points adrift of seventh with 20 games remaining, the opportunity is still there for the club to take while a natural talisman could be just the catalyst required.