Brighton reject £8m bid from Napoli for Billy Gilmour

• Napoli have made an £8m bid for Brighton’s Billy Gilmour.
• Brighton are currently on a pre-season tour of Japan.
• Gomez will join Brighton after the Olympics.

Brighton have turned down an £8m bid from Napoli for Scottish midfielder Billy Gilmour, as reported by the BBC on Saturday.

Sources indicate that this was an initial offer, suggesting that Napoli could come back with a new offer as they believe they can complete the transfer.

The Scottish midfielder travelled to Japan with the Seagulls for the start of a two-match tour.

They will play Kashima Antlers on July 24 and Tokyo Verde on July 28, aiming to capitalize on the popularity of Kaoru Mitoma, the Japan international who has made a significant impact at the club.

Gilmour started 24 Premier League matches last season and made 41 appearances in all competitions.

He joined Brighton for £7.5m in 2022 and still has two years remaining on his contract.

Napoli, managed by former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, finished 10th last season after claiming the title in 2023 for the first time in 33 years.

Meanwhile, Brighton are close to signing Paraguayan international Diego Gomez from Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

Gomez will be part of his country’s Olympic squad later this month, so he won’t be able to join Brighton until after the tournament.

However, sources say negotiations over a deal are nearly complete, with the fee believed to be around $18m (£13.9m).