Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is keen to bring Chelsea star Billy Gilmour back to the club on loan next season.
The 20-year-old, who switched Rangers to Chelsea in 2017, is expected to leave Stamford Bridge temporarily this summer, and his dazzling display in Scotland’s goalless draw against England has given him a long list of suitors.
Reports in England have suggested that Norwich City are at the front of a queue that also includes Leeds United and Wolves, but the Daily Record claims that Gerrard has made a late push to try to lure Gilmour back to Scotland.
It is believed that Chelsea would prefer to send Gilmour to another Premier League side, but Rangers hope they will be able to make a more convincing argument with the promise of Champions League football – provided they make it through the qualifiers.
Rangers are anxious for Chelsea to postpone their final decision on Gilmore’s future until their European fate is decided.
Gerrard hopes to get Gilmour back to Rangers / Ian MacNicol / Getty Images
But when the Champions League qualifiers are not over until the end of August, Rangers may face an uphill climb to convince both Chelsea and Gilmour to wait.
Interestingly, there are also suggestions that Gilmour does not actually go against a loan. It is believed that Scott’s future may be directly linked to Mateo Kovacics, who has been linked to his own move away from Stamford Bridge.
Kovacic was named as a potential sweetener in the tender for Inter right-back Achraf Hakimi, but with Paris Saint-Germain set to win the race for the Moroccan signature, Kovacic’s future seems to be up in the air.
Gilmour excelled against England at Euro 2020 / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
Seeing Kovacic leave Chelsea would be a surprise, but Thomas Tuchel has a ready replacement in Gilmour – so the chance to make money in Croatian may end up being too good to say no.
If Kovacic stays at Chelsea, expect to see Gilmour loan out for some regular football; potentially at Rangers if Gerrard and the club’s hierarchy gets their way.
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!
