Chelsea’s future, Norwich’s present: What next for Billy Gilmour?

What’s next?

A good loan, hopefully. There is always risk involved with farming young players out to relegation-threatened clubs. Said clubs are likely to be involved in a dogfight, often change managers in-between seasons, and are usually at the end of some heavy beatings. Assessing player performances in such circumstances becomes a difficult task.

Take the example of Conor Gallagher and Ethan Ampadu. Both the Chelsea graduates went out on Premier League loans last summer; Gallagher to West Bromwich Albion and Ampadu to Sheffield United. Despite their individual brilliance, the two players enjoyed varying degrees of success as part of teams that were constantly threatened by relegation. Gallagher had an enjoyable loan spell and used the same as a springboard to secure another temporary move within the top division. Ampadu, meanwhile, had a less successful loan and is now flirting dangerously with obscurity.

One has to wonder, given the sample, what becomes of Gilmour a year from now?

Luckily, Gilmour will be in good hands at Norwich City. Daniel Farke—the manager—is a proponent of positive, attacking football and already seems to trust the youngster enough to hand him major responsibilities. Gilmour shone throughout preseason for the Canaries, with the odd exceptional pass making its way on to social media in the form of a clip. It is expected that he will start for the Championship winners in their first match back in the Premier League, which happens to be against Liverpool.

Fans of both Norwich and Chelsea will be excited at the prospect of Gilmour playing each week, as will Chelsea itself. The Scotsman might not be of immediate importance to the Blues, but his value to the club will grow with each passing year. Chelsea knows it cannot rely upon the midfield pivot of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante for years to come, despite rumors of both players being offered fresh contracts. Both will be 30 by the end of the year, and in doing so, will enter a corridor of uncertainty from which there is no coming back. Both Jorginho and Kante will unquestionably be important to Chelsea for at least a couple more years. However, the Blues would ideally want Gilmour primed and ready to replace either—or both—of them when the time comes. In a year’s time, we will have a better understanding of Gilmour’s situation. Despite the generational talents which he has to offer, the Scotsman is at that weird crossroads, just outside of Stamford Bridge, from which few have returned home.

What do you think the future holds for Gilmour? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!