Norwich City are edging closer to completing a loan deal for Chelsea's Billy Gilmour with a medical set to take place on Thursday.
The 20-year-old has seen his playing time evaporate since Thomas Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge, and the German coach clearly does not believe the midfielder will play any major part in his plans next season.
Chelsea are willing to allow Gilmour to leave on loan, and Norwich appears to be his next short-term destination. John Percy reports that the starlet is closer than ever to joining the Canaries, and has a medical scheduled for Thursday once he is allowed to leave isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Blues are keen to see their youngster continue to grow in the Premier League, and they view Norwich as the best club to help him flourish and unlock his true potential. This is down to Norwich's attractive playing style under coach Daniel Farke, who has guided his team back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and has worked with Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund.
Norwich suffered a disappointing top-flight campaign in 2019/20, finishing the season bottom of the table with only 21 points. But the Canaries stuck with their manager and his principles, and their faith was rewarded in style.
They stormed to the Championship title last year, totalling 97 points and playing some wonderful football along the way. Their insistence on doing things in a specific manner is what Chelsea find so appealing, and they think that consistency and style will help their midfielder develop.
There was also interest from Rangers, where Gilmour began his career, but Chelsea's preference is to keep a close eye on their star in the Premier League.
Gilmour captured Europe's attention at Euro 2020, delivering a man of the match performance in the 0-0 draw with England at Wembley Stadium and demonstrating his true capabilities on the big stage.
His tournament came to a premature end however, when he tested positive for coronavirus after the draw, meaning he could not feature in the final group stage clash with Croatia. His absence was sorely felt as Scotland fell to a 3-1 defeat at Hampden Park, crashing out of Euro 2020.
Source : 90min