Ex-Chelsea player Pat Nevin has backed Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour to be a success if he makes a move to Manchester City in the future.
The Scottish international joined the Seagulls from Chelsea for £9m last year, but Nevin says he can’t understand why his former club let him go:
“Gilmour is a world-class footballer. He could sit in the Man City midfield and be fine because he is good enough for them. I think Gilmour will go on to have a good career at Brighton though, it is a good place for him.”
While Gilmour is clearly the type of player that would fit in well with Pep Guardiola’s style of play, it is up for debate whether he has the ability to play for the treble winners.
The 22-year-old didn’t even become a regular starter for Brighton before the end of April, having made only seven league starts all season. You would, therefore, think that it is pretty unlikely that he could slot in easily to City’s midfield.
Nevin is being slightly biased
It is not uncommon for Scottish pundits to overrate players from their own country and it is hard to go along with Nevin’s remarks that Gilmour is a “world-class” player.
You have to remember that, prior to his move to Brighton, his performances were heavily criticised by fans at Norwich, who were relegated from the top flight during his loan spell.
There is definitely an argument to be had over whether Gilmour’s attributes are better suited to teams, like the Citizens, who have more possession, but even so, it is still s stretch to say that the Scottish star is ready to start for the Premier League champions. Nevin could yet be proven right if Gilmour performs well for Brighton next campaign so we shall see how he progresses on the south coast.
