Scotland and Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour is expected to join Napoli this summer, so Marco Negri believes he can be ‘similar to Jorginho’ in Antonio Conte’s team.
The negotiations have been going on for several weeks now and are widely reported to reach a successful conclusion over the next few days for around €12m plus add-ons.
With the move believed to be imminent, the Sunday Post contacted former Glasgow Rangers star Negri to ask how the Scot will adapt to life in Serie A.
“Gilmour will certainly have to adapt quickly to the Italian championship, because Napoli is a top-tier team and there is no time to waste,” said Negri.
“Conte always demands a lot from his players, it will be the same in his case. Fortunately, he has the perfect game for the way Conte sets his teams out to play.
“For me, he is similar to Jorginho, a player Conte knows very well. Billy has great balance, composure and his movement is excellent, qualities that make him ideally suited to play in the three in front of the defence.”
Gilmour ideal for Conte’s Napoli
It would not be the first time that Gilmour worked with Italian tacticians, having spent two years under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton and Hove Albion.
“It was greatly beneficial. When you can watch him play now you can see the positive impact it has had upon his game,” added Negri.
“He has grown a lot, both in terms of personality and his tactical awareness. And, of course, he is an extremely dangerous attacking threat for any team he plays for.”
The Brighton player only turned 23 in June and already has 30 senior caps for Scotland.
A product of the Glasgow Rangers youth academy, he moved on to Chelsea in 2017 and was sold to Brighton for €8.3m in the summer of 2022.
Last season he made 41 competitive appearances for the Seagulls, contributing two assists.