It's claimed Billy Gilmour left Chelsea for Brighton to play under Graham Potter... only for the manager to head in the opposite direction eight days after the transfer.
Brighton signed the Scotland international, 21, in a £9million deal on deadline day. He agreed a four-year contract and admitted his excitement at working with Potter. "For me, Brighton play great football and a style I like to play, nice passing," said Gilmour.
"The manager is highly thought of as well, he's really good. I thought I wanted to come here. I also know a couple of players here, Levi [Colwill] and Tariq [Lamptey] so I've asked them and they've told me how good of a club it's been."
Potter was also very complementary about Gilmour. "Billy arrives with a fantastic pedigree, having played in the Premier League and Champions League as well as for Scotland at last year’s Euros," said the manager. "He will complement our existing midfield options.
"That experience at quite a young age shows the strength of character he has and we’re really excited by his potential. Now it’s about allowing him the time to get used to a new environment and settling in to our club. We can’t wait to work with him."
Yet Gilmour ended up playing just five minutes of added time under Potter before the manager accepted the Chelsea job. The English coach - who impressed at Swansea, Brighton and Swedish side Ostersunds - has agreed a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
Do you feel sympathy for Billy Gilmour? Let us know in the comments below!
And, according to The Sun, Gilmour was left 'baffled' by Potter's decision to join Chelsea. It's claimed he never wanted to leave Stamford Bridge and only did so because of Potter's style of play. Gilmour now faces a wait to see who the next Brighton manager will be.
Kjetil Knutsen, who is currently in charge of Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt, is the favourite to replace Potter at the Amex. Knutsen' side have punched above their weight in recent seasons, qualifying for this season's Europa League and beating Roma 6-1 in last term's Europa Conference League. They've also won two consecutive Eliteserien titles.
Other candidates include Nottingham Forest's Steve Cooper, Luton's Nathan Jones and Celtic's Ange Postecoglou. All three managers have enjoyed considerable success in their current roles, with the latter leading Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title last term.
Gilmour's future could depend on who the next Brighton manager is. The Scot was one of Chelsea's best youngsters, winning their Academy Player of the Year award in 2019/20. He was also part of the squad that won the Champions League a year later.
Gilmour was particularly impressive during Euro 2020, winning UEFA's Star of the Match award for his group-stage display at Wembley. Yet his reputation took a hit during a loan spell at Norwich last season, as the Canaries were relegated from the Premier League.
Another poor spell at Brighton could leave Gilmour in the football wilderness. "I’ve grown from a young boy to a man but I feel now is the time to make the next step in my career," he said on leaving Chelsea. "Good luck and all the best! Once a blue, always a blue!"
