Glasgow Rangers should give Billy Gilmour his debut and start laying the groundwork for his return even before his reported exit.
According to a report from Goal.com, Chelsea have agreed a deal with Rangers teenager Billy Gilmour to bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.
The news is a major blow for new Gers boss Pedro Caixinha, who will have hoped to keep hold of the talented teenager but instead looks to lose him in a £500,000 deal given the fact that he is still only 15.
But that does not mean Caixinha cannot use the situation to his advantage, at least in the next few years.
Gilmour was closing in on his first-team debut at Ibrox under interim manager Graeme Murty, and Caixinha should follow through with that, making the young midfielder a Rangers record-breaker in the process.
With little left to play for in the league this season, Rangers should give the teenager some chances to impress in the hope of laying the groundwork for a future deal to bring Gilmour back to Scotland.
After all, signing for Chelsea at 15 is no guarantee of success. You need only ask the huge number of Blues loanees scattered around Europe in the last few seasons.
Gilmour may have made the decision to leave Scotland for a shot at the Premier League, but Rangers should not simply admit defeat and move on.
They should play him while they can, putting him in the club’s record books in the process, showing him how highly they rate him before potentially taking him back on loan in the next few seasons.
It would maintain a good relationship with the player and his alleged next club, and if things do not go according to plan at Chelsea Rangers could then be in the box seat to welcome him home for good.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
