Billy Gilmour sees £8m Napoli transfer bid REJECTED as Brighton hold firm amid Antonio Conte reunion plot

Brighton have reportedly rejected an £8m bid from Napoli for Billy Gilmour.

The Scotland playmaker has been identified as a top midfield target for the Serie A giants, who are thought to have made their first move for the Scotland cap. The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, citing Italian sources, puts the former Rangers playmaker high up on the list of reinforcements that new Partenopei boss, Antonio Conte, is hoping to bring to Naples, believing him to be the player to bolster his midfield.

Conte worked with Gilmour during his time at Chelsea, and the Ardrossan native might not be the only ex-Chelsea Conte colleague to swap the Premier League for Serie A this summer, as a move for Romelu Lukaku continues apace. But it's now being reported by talKSPORT's Alex Crook that that first bid, worth £8m, has been rejected. It's believed Brighton are holding out for around £12m.

Gilmour, who had to work extremely hard to establish himself in the Seagulls midfield under Roberto de Zerbi before he left this summer, may find the chance to work under Conte again at a club the size of Napoli - the 2022/23 Serie A champions - hard to turn down.