Rangers linked Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour is reportedly a major target for La Liga outfit Villarreal as the Scotland international prepares to leave the AMEX on loan this January.
Brighton paid a reported £9m to sign Gilmour, 21, from Chelsea in the summer but so far the player has been limited to only 13 minutes of Premier League football this season.
Originally signed during Graham Potter’s tenure at Brighton – with the Englishman now at Chelsea – Billy Gilmour has found it hard to break into Roberto De Zerbi’s team and now Villarreal are lingering.
According to the Times, the La Liga outfit are leading the race to sign Billy Gilmour on loan in January and it could prove frustrating for expectant Rangers fans.
Rangers-linked Billy Gilmour wanted by Villarreal
There has been an air of inevitability about Billy Gilmour one day returning to Rangers with the midfielder having come through the youth ranks at the club and remaining an avid supporter.
After reports emerged that Gilmour was open to a love move in January, there were some murmurs surrounding Rangers, with the Ibrox club extensively linked before the player’s switch to Brighton.
But now it is the Gers’ former Europa League rivals Villarreal – whom the Gers drew with twice in Steven Gerrard’s first season at Ibrox – who’re set to pounce with the La Liga leading the Gilmour race as things stand.
This comes after Brighton’s Italian manager De Zerbi admitted he was struggling to find a spot for Gilmour in his team despite his admiration for the player.
“I really like Billy Gilmour,” said De Zerbi.
“I think he can improve a lot with us and for our work for next week.
“But Caicedo and MacAllister are two big players for us. He has to find the space to play and I have to give him more space but it is difficult.
“We do not have Europa or Champions League, we have one game per week but there are many good young players. I am speaking Gilmour, Sarmiento and Lamptey. Lamptey played part of the game very well.”
Whilst Billy Gilmour reportedly looks like heading to Villarreal, the appointment of Michael Beale at Rangers can help one young talent to stick around.
