Brighton have reportedly turned down an offer from Napoli for midfielder Billy Gilmour. The Italian club, now managed by former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, is keen on a reunion with the Scottish international. Gilmour had previously played under Conte during his time at Stamford Bridge. Napoli’s bid of £8 million has been rejected by Brighton, but there is still a possibility of a deal if the price reaches £12 million.
Gilmour joined Brighton in 2022 on a four-year deal from Chelsea and has become a regular in the team. Despite making 58 appearances for the club, he has yet to score a goal. It’s worth noting that Gilmour never played under Conte during his time at Chelsea, as he was still in the club’s academy at that time.
Antonio Conte has wasted no time in recruiting players since his appointment at Napoli. He has already brought in Torino defender Alessandro Buogiorno, Rafa Marin from Real Madrid, and Roma’s Leonardo Spinazzola. Gilmour is not the only player with a Chelsea connection that Conte is interested in. He is also targeting Romelu Lukaku, who is currently out of favor at Stamford Bridge after loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma. Reports suggest that Lukaku is willing to reduce his salary to secure a move to Napoli. While he currently earns £178,000 per week, he would accept a new salary of £96,000 per week.
In other transfer news, Brentford is ready to lower their asking price for Ivan Toney to less than £50 million due to a lack of interest from other clubs. Manchester United has reportedly agreed on personal terms with Manuel Ugarte, who is eager to leave PSG this summer. Tottenham is looking to hijack Fulham’s move for Scott McTominay, who would be a replacement for Ugarte in midfield.
Overall, it seems that there is still a possibility of Billy Gilmour moving to Napoli, as the club is determined to reunite him with former manager Antonio Conte. The transfer window continues to provide exciting developments, with various clubs making moves to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season.