'Staggered': Billy Gilmour's Napoli future addressed as Man City claim made on Scotland star
Nevin believes Scotland star’s impact on games goes unnoticed
Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour has the skillset to play for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola - but he should stay at Napoli, according to Pat Nevin.
Gilmour made the move from Brighton and Hove Albion in the English Premier League to Italian side Napoli last summer. Alongside fellow Scotland internationalist Scott McTominay, he went on to win the Serie A title - only the fourth Scudetto in Gli Azzurri’s history.
Contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2029, any suitors would have to pay a significant fee for the Rangers academy graduate, who already has experience of playing in the EPL with Chelsea, Norwich City and Brighton. And while former Scotland internationalist Nevin reckons the 24-year-old would thrive at a possession-based club such as Man City, he is better off staying in Naples.
“Billy was playing for Chelsea when he was 18, playing against Liverpool and looking like the best player on the field,” said Nevin. “Then he doesn't get his chance.
“He moves to Norwich, a team that wasn't suited to him. Then he goes to Brighton, finally a place that suits him, and they loved him and he was doing really, really well. But he didn't suit the way they were buying and selling so they moved him again.
“Honestly I do think if you stuck him in the centre of Manchester City's midfield he'd be fine. He's good enough. He can do that technically with his quality.
Why leave Napoli?
“But why would you move back from Napoli? It is heaven over there for a player. If you're winning the scudetto, if you're getting lauded the way he and Scott McTominay are, I would be staggered (if he left). I think he'd look towards Spain if he were to move. I think that would suit Billy down to the ground. And I think he'd love them there.
“People that don't watch Napoli or Scotland sometimes roll their eyes and think it's just a Scottish guy. He plays against some of the best players in the world and he outshines them quite regularly.”
Speaking to compare.bet, Nevin added: “The downside is he's not going to score you any goals and he's not massively creative either. But he controls games. That control in games is massively important for certain types of teams.
“So Billy could do it in the Premier League, but why bother?”
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