Brighton and Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber confirmed that Napoli’s first offer for Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour was rejected and suggested that no new talks had been held.
The 23-year-old midfielder is a product of Chelsea’s youth system and made the move to the Seagulls in 2022, where he started to prove himself on a regular basis in the Premier League. He was part of the Scotland squad for Euro 2024, appearing in all three of their group games.
On Saturday, reports emerged suggesting that Napoli had submitted a circa €9.5m offer to Brighton for Gilmour, keen to add the 23-year-old to Antonio Conte’s new project on the Campania coast. The coach worked with the midfielder during their time together in West London.
Brighton CEO confirms rejected Gilmour offer
Speaking to talkSPORT, Brighton CEO Barber discussed Napoli’s interest in Gilmour and confirmed that their first bid was rejected.
“We haven’t heard anything more from Napoli. We have turned down one offer from them. Billy has been an important player for us and we’re very keen to keep Billy. He’s a fantastic footballer and a great character around this squad.
“We know that some of our players are going to come under interest and attention from other clubs and we just have to manage that as part and parcel of being who we are and where we are at the stage of our journey.”
Gilmour is contracted to Brighton to June 2026. Last season, he saw 2926 minutes of action across 41 matches for the club.