Billy Gilmour, a Scotland midfielder, has all the qualities to play for Manchester City or Arsenal, according to respected football expert Patrick Nevin.
Gilmour moved from Brighton and Hove Albion to Napoli on the final day of the summer transfer window for £12 million and has since impressed in Serie A, propelling Gli Azzurri to the top of Italy’s top flight.
The 23-year-old former Rangers and Chelsea player remains a key member of the Scotland national team, and despite only recently moving to Naples, Nevin, a former Scotland international himself, believes the deep-lying playmaker possesses all of the qualities to represent last season’s top two EPL clubs.
“I knew about Billy Gilmour before he joined Chelsea when he was at Rangers,” remarked Nevin, “but most people remember his game against Liverpool, where he dominated.
“I see a lot of him for Scotland and all of the teams he’s played for, and I think he’d be perfect in the center of midfield for Arsenal or Manchester City. He’s a good enough player to play there, so it makes sense.
“He has the technical capacity to achieve great things in football. “He can hold the ball as well as any other player.”
Looking back on his time at Chelsea, Nevin likened Gilmour, who is contracted with Napoli until 2029, to former Blues midfielders Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, implying that their lack of goal contributions prevents them from being deemed £100 million players.
“Billy was coming through at Chelsea when Jorginho was in the centre of midfield,” replied Nevin. “He was a player who used to get a lot of flak from Chelsea fans, and I used to tell people he’d end up in Manchester City’s midfield.”
“People would argue that he didn’t score goals or do other parts of the game, but he was adored by those who understood his style. It was no surprise to me when he went to Arsenal, and I’d feel exactly the same about Billy.
“If the next move he gets is way up the ladder, I won’t be surprised. The only thing holding him back, and the only reason he’s not moving anywhere for £100 million, is because he doesn’t create and score goals. He is world class at all other parts of the game, but that extra bit is what stops him getting that move.
Looking back on his time at Chelsea, Nevin likened Gilmour, who is contracted with Napoli until 2029, to former Blues midfielders Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, implying that their lack of goal contributions prevents them from being deemed £100 million players.
“Billy was coming through at Chelsea when Jorginho was in the centre of midfield,” replied Nevin. “He was a player who used to get a lot of flak from Chelsea fans, and I used to tell people he’d end up in Manchester City’s midfield.”
“People would protest that he didn’t score goals or play other roles in the game, but he was adored by those who knew his manner. It didn’t surprise me when he joined Arsenal, and I’d feel the same way about Billy.
“I won’t be surprised if his next promotion takes him far up the corporate ladder. The only thing holding him back and preventing him from transferring for £100 million is his inability to create and score goals. He is world-class in every other aspect of the game, but that extra bit is what prevents him from making that play.
“We’ve seen a number of midfielders like that, Mateo Kovacic was one during his time at Chelsea, who are hampered by a lack of goal contributions. Some players are also viewed differently since they have traveled around.
In an interview with Betvictor, Nevin said: “If he’d stayed at one club that suited him well, he’d have played week in and week out for four or five years, and he’d be even better than he is.
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