Chelsea keep one eye on the future with Rangers signing
Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement to sign one of the brightest talents in Scottish football, Billy Gilmour, as the Blues continue to keep an eye on the future.
Chelsea are once again moving to bring the best young talent to West London. The latest report claims that the Blues have reached an agreement to sign Billy Gilmour, who is currently part of Rangers’ academy set-up.
Goal is the source of the story, as they state that Chelsea have seen off the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona to grab Gilmour’s signature.
"The 15-year-old will move for a fee of around £500,000 in the summer after he was convinced to leave the Scottish Premiership side following a visit to Chelsea’s Cobham Training Centre.The Blues beat off competition from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who all scouted the youngster."
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If true, this represents an interesting decision from the youngster. Chelsea are flying high at the top of the Premier League and they are indeed one of the biggest clubs in world football. However, their inability to give youth a chance is well documented.
Gilmour will be familiar with the numerous stories of precious youngsters being spun around Chelsea’s loan machine. Why would he choose to join the Blues over a team that has a reputation for graduating their nurtured talent?
Whatever his reason, it appears as though the Blues have secured another promising player. Now, it is up to the club to enable Gilmour to fulfill his potential.
His career path will likely see him stay at Cobham for the next couple of years. Then, his loans will begin as the Blues give him a chance to enjoy regular first-team football around inferior leagues. From then, it is anyone’s guess.
Having said that, his age could be an advantage. Given that he is only 15, the club attitude may change by the time he reaches that important 18-21 stage. Many fans hoped that Antonio Conte would refresh Chelsea’s approach to young talent. Little has changed so far, but the Italian’s influence may become more obvious down the line.
Perhaps this is what drew him to the club. When visiting Cobham and meeting club officials, they may have convinced him that opportunities will be bountiful in the future.
Fans, and Gilmour, can only hope this to be true. For the moment, though, the youngster should just focus on keeping his head down and his professional dreams alive.