Taylor: Gill would be right for us

Taylor said: "We had Lee Sawyer on loan from Chelsea at the end of the season because he’s a good footballer that’s prepared to go and get the ball in tight areas and I see Matt as that type of player.

"He has had two tremendous seasons at Exeter so he’s a good footballer and always played well against us, so it’s obvious that I would identify that.

"He’s a player that would interest us but I have got quite a few like that. He’s one player that we know is out of contract and he would be on my list of midfield players.

"I’m not prepared to say if I have spoken to him. I have spoken to quite a few people."

Gill was voted players’ player-of-the-year at City this season, impressing with the consistency of his performances and the number of goals he scored.

The midfielder notched nine times — including the winner against Taylor’s men in a crucial match at St James’s Park in April — as the Grecians finished runners-up in Coca Cola League Two, one place ahead of Wycombe.

City boss Paul Tisdale offered Gill an extension to his current contract in December but the midfielder asked for negotiations to be put on hold until the end of the season.

But it now looks likely Gill will leave Exeter as a free agent on June 30 — a scenario that Taylor says is becoming increasingly common.

He said: "My captain (Dave McCracken) is the same. He’s out of contract and I’m desperate to keep him but there are other clubs after him.

"It’s tough for all of us that good players are going out of contract because it gives them the freedom to go elsewhere.

"You could sign a million frees at the moment but whether they are going to improve your team is another matter, so it’s the ones you know are going to better your team and who you can get for nothing that you know will be a good signing."

Another player out of contract is Dagenham & Redbridge striker Ben Strevens.

The 14-goal hitman is attracting the attention of City chief Tisdale, but Taylor admitted that he is also interesting in signing the former Barnet man.

"There are three or four areas (of the team) we are looking at strengthening," Taylor said. "We finished the season the opposite to Exeter — not as good as I would have liked — so there are areas that we need to strengthen.

"Strevens is another player on our list (of transfer targets) and he’s another player out of contract. He showed for Dagenham last year that he’s a good team player and scores goals.

"It’s good for managers (that there are so many players available on free transfers) but there are other clubs out there.

"We won’t be paying incredible wages that are going to knock other teams in our division out of the water, so we are all in the same boat.

"It’s competitive. You have just got to hope you are lucky and you get the ones you want."