Brighton's £12m transfer target and ex-Chelsea man spotted pre-season training on Japan tour amid speculation

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Billy Gilmour was pictured training with the Seagulls in Japan amid speculation of a £12m move to Napoli.

Gilmour, 23, signed for Brighton from Chelsea for £7.5m in 2022 and has two years remaining on his contract. The Scotland international struggled on his first season at Brighton as Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister held down the central midfield roles.

But Gilmour emerged as a key player for the Seagulls last term and performed consistently well under previous boss Roberto De Zerbi in the Premier League and the Europa League.

On Saturday, Serie A outfit Napoli made a surprise £8m bid for Gilmour as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his midfield options. The bid was rejected by Brighton, who are now bracing themselves for an increased offer expected to be in the region of £12m.

Brighton are currently in Japan on a two-match pre-season trip where they will play Kashima Antlers on July 24 and Tokyo Verdy on July 28. They are currently training in Tokyo where Gilmour was pictured smiling with his Brighton teammates.

The Seagulls have been busy in the transfer window this summer with around £80m worth of talent arriving already, including Dutch midfielder Mats Wieffer who completed a move from Feyenoord for around £25m. Brighton are also closing in on Inter Miami’s Paraguay midfield ace Diego Gomez in a reported £12m deal.

The potential of losing the experience and guile of Gilmour would however be a blow for new head coach Fabian Hurzeler as he prepares for his first season of Premier League football.

The future of German international midfielder Pascal Gross also looks uncertain as he mulls over the offer of a new Brighton contract, alongside interest from Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund.

Poland international Jakub Moder could also be on his way from Brighton this summer as the 24-year-old has just one-year remaining on his current deal and almost joined newly-promoted Leicester earlier this month.