Gillingham poised to lose out on Wrexham transfer agreement as League Two rivals lead chase | OneFootball

Shrewsbury Town are at the front of the queue, as a number of teams hunt for Wrexham defender Will Boyle.

Gillingham look likely to miss out on a deal for Wrexham defender Will Boyle, with Shrewsbury Town at the front of the queue for his services.

The 29-year-old centre-back caught the attention of Gareth Ainsworth’s Kent outfit, but it has now been revealed that divisional rivals Shrewsbury are leading the race for him this summer.

Gillingham were reportedly in talks with Boyle, as per Alan Nixon, but the side which Ainsworth left as manager to head to the Priestfield may now snag one of his targets.

Shrewsbury Town leading race for Will Boyle ahead of Gillingham

Centre-back Boyle has caught the eye of Shrewsbury, according to both BBC Radio Shropshire and the Shropshire Star newspaper.

It is unknown whether the proposed deal is a loan or permanent switch, with Boyle having just one year left on his contract at Wrexham.

A League Two winner with Cheltenham Town in 2021, Boyle joined then-Championship side Huddersfield Town for one season in 2022/23, before dropping two divisions to the bottom tier of the EFL, where he became a fixture of the promotion-winning Wrexham outfit.

The Englishman actually started his career at Huddersfield, before loan spells at current National League promotion-chasers York City, since-reformed Macclesfield, Kidderminster Harriers, and Scottish side Kilmarnock.

Boyle made a permanent move to Cheltenham in January 2017, where he managed close to 200 appearances before returning to the Terriers briefly, and his recent time at Wrexham hasn't gone too great either.

At Shrewsbury’s cross-border rivals, Boyle fell out of favour due to both strong squad depth in the promotion-winning squad and time on the injury list with a calf problem.

He played just three times across all competitions for Wrexham in 2024/25, none of which came in League One action.

Boyle scored in EFL Cup defeat to Championship outfit Sheffield United, while he also played the full 90 minutes against both Salford City and Wolverhampton Wanderers under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

The calf injury that followed kept him out of the remainder of their Trophy run, as well as the surge to automatic promotion out of the third tier.

In the prior campaign, Boyle was much more of a feature. He played 24 games in League Two as Wrexham secured their second consecutive promotion on what has since become a trifecta for the Welsh club.

Gillingham's loss could be Shrewsbury Town and Michael Appleton's major gain if they strike Will Boyle deal

Boyle would become Shrewsbury’s second defensive addition of the summer if he does make the switch to Shropshire, after Doncaster Rovers centre-back Tom Anderson was recruited following the South Yorkshire side’s title-winning campaign in League Two.

Salop, under the management of Michael Appleton, have also signed former Premier League midfielder Sam Clucas after his release from boyhood club Lincoln City, and it's clear that there's a need to add plenty of experience to the squad so that they're ready for a promotion battle.

Boyle has been there and done it, and although he may not have match sharpness after his lack of action in 2024-25, pre-season would give the 29-year-old a chance to get up to speed.

For Gillingham though, with Shadrach Ogie and Sam Gale the only centre-backs contracted to the club as of next season at the moment, they need to add more depth to their back-line, so to potentially lose out on someone like Boyle would be a big blow after talks got underway.