Perennially Rangers-linked Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour has had his shirt number handed to playing rival Connor Gallagher as the 21-year-old is extensively linked to Everton.
The Stamford Bridge youngster has worn the number 23 for the London club in recent seasons but this year the Scotland international will hand it to his English counterpart.
What’s more, Chelsea haven’t handed Billy Gilmour a number at all in a major hint that the player’s exit is imminent ahead of the new Premier League season.
It’s a sign of Gilmour’s standing in a competitive Chelsea squad with Connor Gallagher impressing at Crystal Palace last season and even being valued at £60m by some pundits [TalkSPORT].
Rangers-linked Billy Gilmour linked with Everton move amid Chelsea kit change
A former Rangers youth player, Chelsea infamously took Gilmour to Stamford Bridge as a 15-year-old and since then there has been plenty of talk about a potential Ibrox loan return.
Even this summer there was a suggestion from some quarters that Rangers could launch a loan bid for Gilmour, just as there was last year ahead of Billy’s switch to Norwich City.
Things didn’t quite work out at Carrow Road under firstly Daniel Farke and then Dean Smith with the Canaries relegated and now Thomas Tuchel appears to have made his mind up on the midfielder.
But for Rangers fans dreaming of a potential loan move for the kid, many believing the Ibrox club are in need of a reliable playmaker type who can can take responsibility in midfield, it looks like Billy Gilmour will be moving across the Premier League.
According to several leading journalists, the former Rangers youth star will be joining Frank Lampard at Everton, the legendary former England midfielder having handed Gilmour his debut at Stamford Bridge.
Telegraph writer Matt Law claimed the Scotland international is “99% likely” to leave Chelsea and namedropped Everton as his likely destination [London is Blue].
Chelsea-centric journalist Simon Phillips also claims that he “expects” Billy Gilmour to join the Toffees on loan [Give Me Sport].
This comes after Chelsea exercised an option to add another year to Billy Gilmour’s contract in January, tying him to the club until 2024.
Meanwhile, Rangers fans have been left purring at a clip of another wonderkid currently impressing in the club’s youth system.