'What was his agent thinking' - Billy Gilmour tipped to make surprise transfer after 'stupid move' to Brighton

Gilmour, 21, signed from Chelsea last summer for around £9m but has found first team chances hard to come by this season. The Scotland international has been unable to establish himself in Roberto De Zerbi's first XI due to the fine form of Albion's South American midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.

Mac Allister, a World Cup winner with Argentina, and the £70m rated Caicedo have formed one of the best midfield partnerships in the Premier League this season and it's little wonder Gilmour has had to bide his time.

The former Chelsea man played a starring role in Brighton's 6-0 win against Wolves last week and then started again during the 1-0 win against Man United. But with Mac Allister and Caicedo fully recovered from their recent heavy workload and the return to fitness of Pascal Gross, Gilmour was back on the bench for yesterday’s painful 5-1 home loss to Everton.

De Zerbi said after the Wolves match that Gilmour was the best player on the pitch and detailed how he had made mistakes this season by not giving the Scotland international more game time.

Gilmour’s first team chances could however increase next term as Mac Allister and Caicedo are both tipped to leave this summer, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Real Madrid and Juventus are all poised.

Despite this, Parker gave this very harsh assessment when talking to www.spilxperten.com and even tipped the former Rangers youth player for a move to Celtic. “Personally, I don´t think a lot of thought went through Billy Gilmour or his agent's mind when they decided that he should move to Brighton. It was a stupid decision. It was a really strange signing by Brighton. Probably one of their only mistakes in that transfer window.

“I don't expect a bright future for him at Brighton. Gilmour has put himself under a lot of pressure. He established himself as a regular player for his country and he started off really well at Chelsea but he is never going to play regularly for Brighton.

“Of course, he needs to move away. I think he is able to play in the Premier League but a move to Scotland wouldn't surprise me. Probably Celtic would be the best fit for him as Rangers doesn´t play the football that suits him very well.”

Gilmour however remains highly regarded by De Zerbi at Brighton and many of the fans feel the move from Chelsea will prove to be decent business. It’s been a tough and frustrating time for Gilmour but his chance to make his mark on the Albion team will likely arrive next season. Even Mac Allister struggled in his first full season at Brighton – and Gilmour can still be a similar success story (perhaps minus the World Cup win).