Brighton and Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber spoke with talkSPORT and confirmed that Napoli's initial offer for Billy Gilmour has been rejected. The 23-year-old midfielder has reportedly been on the Partenopei's radar for several weeks, with the club having made a reported bid of EUR8 million just days ago.

Gilmour, who developed through Chelsea's youth system, moved to Brighton in 2022 and has since established himself as a regular in the Premier League. He was also part of the Scotland squad for Euro 2024, playing in all three group stage matches.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Barber discussed Napoli's interest and confirmed the rejection of their first bid:

"We haven't heard anything more from Napoli. We have turned down one offer from them. Billy has been an important player for us and we're very keen to keep Billy. He's a fantastic footballer and a great character around this squad," Barber stated.

Barber acknowledged that interest from other clubs is a part of the journey for Brighton. "We know that some of our players are going to come under interest and attention from other clubs, and we just have to manage that as part and parcel of being who we are and where we are at the stage of our journey," he added.