Chelsea fans bamboozled by transfer decision as Mac Allister downs Man Utd

Robin Bairner

• 5 May 2023 08:15 BST
• 4 min read

That Chelsea have been outdone in the transfer market by Brighton is a fact that has not been lost on any football fan.

The Blues spend upwards of €600 million and find themselves in the lower half of the Premier League table while the Seagulls, who are fifth, worked wonders to run a profit last summer of around €70m.

Business was, of course, done between the two clubs. Marc Cucurella left the south coast to sign for the Stamford Bridge outfit for €65m – a record fee for a left-back. But it is the deal that took ex-Blues academy player Billy Gilmour to the Amex that has come into focus following Roberto De Zerbi’s side overcoming Manchester United 1-0 on Thursday.

Alexis Mac Allister might have scored a dramatic 99th-minute penalty, but the Scotland international star proved a reliable foil in the midfield, with Moises Caicedo shifted to right-back to make way for him.

MORE: Chelsea's THREE summer transfer priorities revealed

Gilmour made headlines at Chelsea as he strung together a series of impressive performances under Thomas Tuchel before a difficult loan spell at Norwich. He was then sold last summer amid an influx of players.

His first season at Brighton has been difficult. It was Graham Potter who wanted him at the club but following his decision to, ironically, go to Chelsea in the autumn, Gilmour was left without his major champion. As such, the 21-year-old has struggled for game time, until starting the last two matches, which ended in a 6-0 victory over Wolves and a 1-0 success over Man Utd.

MORE: Alexis Mac Allister is the 'Argentine Modric'

Gilmour drops midfield masterclass vs Man Utd

Indeed, he performed so well against Wolves that Moises Caicedo, who is linked with a huge summer move to a string of Premier League giants, was switched into defence to make way. Mac Allister, who is expected to make a high-profile summer transfer, played alongside Gilmour in midfield.

His display against United was particularly eye catching and left Chelsea supporters struggling to understand why the Blues did not take a longer-term view with the Scotsman.

“If Chelsea had some planning, Jorginho could have been sold 6 months before he eventually left and it would have helped them keep Billy Gilmour instead of selling him for £10m,” one fan pointed out.

Another said: “Gilmour coming in from the cold to drop a competent midfield performance in the Premier League against one of the big six. Some things never change.”

A third asked what many Chelsea fans were thinking on the matter: “Why tf did we sell Gilmour?”

MORE: Pochettino could sign 'little Messi' for Chelsea