Football News Update: Gillingham’s Midfield Maestro Armani Little Joins for 2024/25 Season
In a move that could prove crucial for Gillingham’s aspirations in the upcoming 2024/25 season, the club has secured the signing of midfielder Armani Little. The Gills’ summer rebuild under manager Mark Bonner has seen the addition of firepower up front, creativity and goals out wide, and now, in Little, a player who could become the beating heart of the team’s new-look midfield.
Bonner has been working closely with the club’s director of football, Kenny Jackett, to assemble the right pieces for a Gillingham side that aims to transform from a defensively solid but toothless unit into one with a genuine goal threat. The signings of striker Elliott Nevitt and winger Jack Nolan have undoubtedly added plenty of scoring potential to the Gills’ lineup, but it’s the acquisition of Little that could prove to be the most important move of the summer.
Little, who came up through the Southampton academy, has established himself as a midfield mainstay, with spells at Oxford United, Woking (on loan), Torquay United, and Forest Green Rovers, before becoming a key figure at AFC Wimbledon. His decision to turn down a new deal with the Dons and join Gillingham has been met with disappointment from some Wimbledon fans, who acknowledge the qualities he will bring to the Kent club’s midfield.
“First and foremost, I’m hardworking. I like to try to get on the ball and create things, and I don’t mind a tackle, either. So I’d like to say I’m a bit of an all-rounder.”
- Armani Little, speaking to the official Gillingham FC website
These words will be music to the ears of Gills fans, who have seen the team’s midfield lacking a genuine box-to-box player in recent seasons. A potential partnership with young midfield anchorman Ethan Coleman looks likely, with Little’s industry potentially helping to create space for the likes of Jonny Williams to provide the ammunition for the team’s new striking duo of Josh Andrews and Nevitt.
The loss of Little from AFC Wimbledon’s midfield could also have a significant impact on their own promotion aspirations, as the Dons finished just one point and two places above the Gills in League Two last season. Replacing such a vital cog in their midfield engine room will be a challenge for Wimbledon as they look to mount their own play-off push in the upcoming campaign.
As the Gillingham faithful have already welcomed Little to the club, with a healthy crowd turning out in Gillingham High Street to attend his official unveiling, the hope is that he can slot into Bonner’s midfield and become the heart of the Gills’ team, potentially driving the club towards a promotion challenge in the 2024/25 season.
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