In a season of massive transition and change for Chelsea FC, expect to see a lot of faces you have never seen before. As outside of Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic, signings are not coming through the door. While 40-plus players have returned after their loan contracts ran out, new manager Frank Lampard has been quick to praise a youngster who has waited patiently for a chance: Billy Gilmour.
What makes him so special?
The youngster gave up the chance to play for Glasgow Rangers in a bid to try his luck at Chelsea, giving up the opportunity for regular game time to come to London. What makes him so special, though, is his ability: he’s very un-Scottish. A fantastic passer with wonderful vision and excellent balance on the ball, Gilmour stands out as he looks more like a European midfielder than a British one.
He’s very impressive on the ball, with the former Rangers player having immense close control and a fantastic range of passing. If Chelsea are looking for a spark in the middle, someone with composure to handle the pace of the game even when things are at their most wild is a huge boon to any side.
Any concerns or doubts?
The fear with Gilmour is the pace and intensity of the Premier League might be just too much at this moment in time. While his passing and his ability to read a game should see him make it one day, this season could see limited appearances due to his small stature and the immense number of midfielders the Blues have.
It will be interesting to see what they do next. If Gilmour does miss his chance to get gametime this year, though, the resumption of signings next summer could kill his chance. If a chance comes along, he’ll need to compensate for his slight physical frame as best he can.