'More than McTominay' - Billy Gilmour Napoli absence explained as Brighton and Man United transfers confuse Italians

Billy Gilmour's move to Napoli from Brighton has not yet gone to plan.

Gilmour made a surprise switch to the Italian club last summer for a reported fee of around £12m.

The 23-year-old had been a key figure for the Seagulls last season under previous boss Roberto De Zerbi and his move to Serie A caught many at Albion by surprise.

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Napoli head coach Antonio Conte worked previously with Gilmour at Chelsea and pushed hard to sign him, along with fellow Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay from Manchester United.

McTominay has been a regular fixture in Conte's midfield as Gli Azzurri sit top of the league, two points ahead of Inter after 25 matches.

Gilmour, in contrast, has struggled to establish himself at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, with just five starts this term in the Italian top flight. The former Seagull has seen just 20 minutes of Serie A action in their last 14 matches.

Conte has so far preferred the physical presence of Slovakia international Stanislav Lobotka as his defensive midfielder, which has left the 36-cap Scotland international out in the cold.

"The real surprise, looking at who remains on the bench and rarely comes on, is Gilmour,” said Italian Sky Sports journalist Francesco Modugno on the situation at Napoli. "In the summer, in fact, he was the player that Conte, more than anyone, wanted to bring to Napoli – even more than McTominay. Evidently, it is difficult to do without Lobotka even for 15 minutes in this period," Modugno added.

Gilmour’s first Serie start for Napoli came in the 1-0 victory at FC Empoli back October 2024 and Conte said Gilmour was "too timid” after the away win.

“Gilmour can give us a great deal, but he was a bit too timid in the first half. The whole team wasn’t having the right approach, but the lads realised I wasn’t happy and did better. Empoli and Roberto D’Aversa also deserve credit, as they are doing very well,” said the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss.

"He's a serious manager," said Gilmour to the BBC last December. "But I think he is pretty straightforward. It's easy to understand. You go and put it onto the pitch and if there is a problem he is going to tell you."

Gilmour joined Brighton from Chelsea in 2022 for around £8m and made 60 appearances while at the Amex Stadium. He is contracted with Napoli until June 2029.

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