Ex-Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers star in talks with Gillingham FC | OneFootball

Ex-Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers player, Bradley Dack in talks with reunion at League Two outfit.

Former Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers playmaker Bradley Dack is in talks with former club Gillingham.

Dack, who made 185 appearances for the Gills, is linked with a move back to Kent as per the Lancashire Telegraph, having left the League Two side seven seasons ago.

The 30-year-old signed for Sunderland from Blackburn as a free agent in the summer of 2023, where he played 17 times for the Black Cats, scoring just once.

However, the experienced player was released this summer by the Championship side.

Dack remains a free agent; however, it has been reported that he has held talks with his former side Gillingham, who are aiming for promotion out of League Two under Mark Bonner this upcoming campaign.

Dack's time at the Gills

With a potential reunion on the cards, Gills supporters will remember the form Dack was in when he originally played for the club.

His penultimate season at the Kent-based side saw him net 15 times while also providing 11 assists.

With 72 goals and assists for the club, fans will be hoping that the club can re-capture his services as they kickstart their League Two campaign at home to Carlisle United on Saturday, 10 August.

Gillingham manager Mark Bonner's stance on the situation

Speaking to Kent Online, Bonner said: “I have spoken to him [Dack], but I have spoken to a lot of players in the last 10 days, so nothing other than some conversations. There is no more than that at the moment.

“We are looking to add in attacking positions, we are looking to add potentially in midfield because at the moment we are light, but Robbie [McKenzie] has done really well in there.

“We have got lots to add to the squad at the moment, but there is no real news on anybody coming in, nothing is imminent.

"But I have had a number of conversations with players that potentially we could add, just to find out if there is interest, if I like them, if I think they can come and make us better."

Dack's injury issues

Last season, under Tony Mowbray, Dack only managed 585 minutes of football, as a reoccurring thigh injury affected his game time.

This will be a major cause of concern for Bonner, and despite the need for attacking additions in the Gills ranks, the club may be reluctant to offer Dack a contract at the League Two outfit.

While at Blackburn, the attacker had a series of injuries, most notably, an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, which saw him miss 89 games over two seasons between 2020 and 2022, as per Transfermarkt.

The 30-year-old may well benefit from a quiet off-season, but with that being said, one would imagine that it would be a tough task for Dack to be fit for the first game of the Gills' season if he were to re-sign for them this transfer window.