Rangers youngster Billy Gilmour left Ibrox for Chelsea this week.
Alex McLeish – Aberdeen and Davie Provan – Celtic in action
Pundit Davie Provan has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks there is ‘something seriously wrong’ with the transfer system following Billy Gilmour’s move from Rangers to Chelsea.
Gilmour, 15, has been praised this season having impressed at youth level for club and country, with Rangers even considering him for a first-team debut earlier this term.
The midfielder has subsequently been linked with a host of clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, and he has now decided that his future lies away from Ibrox.
Gilmour made a move to Chelsea earlier this week, with Rangers receiving a development fee of £600,000 for the young midfielder according to The Mirror.
The news of Gilmour’s departure is a major blow to Rangers, who have been attempting to rebuild their youth setup since their liquidation in 2012, with the £600,000 a mere fraction of what Gilmour could be worth in five or ten years.
General view outside Ibrox
Now, pundit Davie Provan has offered his verdict to The Scottish Sun, saying that he can’t blame Gilmour for making the move to Stamford Bridge, as joining the soon-to-be Premier League champions will ‘set him up for life’.
Provan noted that there is ‘something seriously wrong’ with the transfer system right now, given that Chelsea can just pick off top young talents from clubs like Rangers for a pittance, before possible selling them on for huge profit.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers celebrates
The former Celtic winger added that the Bhoys could face a similar problem with 14-year-old talent Karamoko Dembele, given that English clubs also want him, with the development fee system a major problem for both of the Old Firm sides according to Provan.
“You can’t blame the kid. A transfer to England’s champions-elect will set him up for life,” said Provan. “But there’s something seriously wrong with a transfer system that’ll see Rangers get peanuts for a player who could later be sold for millions.”
“Potentially, Celtic are facing the same situation with 14-year-old Karamoko Dembele, with top English clubs circling. What’s the point in scouting and developing young talent when you can lose them for buttons? The development fee system stinks to high heaven,” he added.
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