Billy Gilmour is poised to complete a move to Napoli after the Italian giants agreed a deal with Brighton which could be worth up to £18million.
Napoli have been tracking the Scotland midfielder all summer after new boss Antonio Conte identified the 23-year-old playmaker as a key target.
Conte’s side suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Verona in last weekend’s Serie A opener, a result which only reaffirmed his desire for new recruits.
Napoli have now reached a verbal agreement for Gilmour, with £12m to be paid up front and a further £6m in add-ons.
Gilmour is understood to be keen on a move to Naples, although he remains part of new Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler’s plans for the time being.
Hurzeler confirmed that the Scotland midfielder is likely to be involved in the squad for the weekend’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Billy Gilmour was one of the bright spots for Scotland at the European Championships
The Brighton midfielder has attracted attention from Italian giants Napoli
If Brighton do sell Gilmour, it could pave the way for Celtic’s Matt O’Riley to join them
But after reaching an agreement with Brighton, Napoli are confident that Gilmour could fly to Italy for his medical early next week.
They key to his departure is likely to be Brighton’s ability to secure a deal for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley. Talks are understood to be ongoing between the two clubs, with Celtic determined to hold out for a fee in excess of £25m.
Meanwhile, Celtic have been linked with a move for Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty ahead of next week’s transfer deadline.
The 26-year-old American centre-back joined the Blades for a fee of £5m from Arsenal last year and was one of their better performers despite being relegated from the Premier League.
A naturally left-footed player who is equally comfortable at centre-back or left-back, Trusty would provide cover and depth across the left side of Celtic’s defence.
He is a colleague of Cameron Carter-Vickers with the USA national team and, whilst Sheffield United would be reluctant to let him leave, Celtic are understood to be weighing up a move.
As things stand, Man City are still understood to be interested in Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi but no official offer has yet been received.