Rangers have received a potential transfer boost with Ibrox-linked Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour reportedly considering a loan exit from Stamford Bridge [The Athletic].
Gilmour joined Chelsea from Rangers in 2017 for a fee in the region of £2m [Sunday Post] and the Gers were first linked with interest in temporarily bringing him back to Ibrox in December [Scottish Sun].
Steven Gerrard described Gilmour as a “fabulous little player” but ultimately dismissed the report as “just people putting two and two together and looking for stories” [RangersTV].
The potential for a deal appears to have increased recently, though, and links with Rangers have resurfaced.
Speaking over the weekend, Frank Lampard suggested a loan exit for the Scotland youth international before the end of the month was a possibility [Daily Mail].
Lampard has since been sacked as Chelsea boss and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, leaving Gilmour’s situation ‘uncertain’ with both Rangers and Napoli interested [Mirror].
Now, the Athletic have reported that Gilmour is genuinely considering the option of heading out of Stamford Bridge in order to secure more playing time over the second half of the campaign, as he eyes a spot in the Scotland squad for this summer’s European Championships.
After recovering from a knee injury, the 19-year-old has struggled to break back into the Chelsea first team so far this season and has only received 309 minutes of playing time across all competitions.
The Gers are currently relatively well-stocked in midfield, but it’s hard to see Steven Gerrard turning down the option to sign Gilmour, should the player decide he wants a loan stint.
Given that he came through the Academy system at Rangers, he knows the club well and likely wouldn’t take long to settle in, while the chance to play a part in the club’s 55th league title and to feature in the Europa League would surely also appeal to the starlet.
Gilmour isn’t the only player whose situation the Gers are reportedly monitoring, though, with a striker excelling in a European league also said to be on the club’s radar.
