Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour faces an uncertain summer on two fronts: a knee injury sustained on international duty has ruled the 24-year-old Scot out of the World Cup, and the club he returns to will be managed by a different coach playing a different system.
The timing is difficult. Gilmour appeared in 16 Serie A matches under Antonio Conte this season, contributing one goal and earning an average rating of 7.00 — a solid if unspectacular return for a player whose profile suggests room to grow, with an AI assessment of 63 out of 100 and a potential ceiling of 75. That ceiling matters because the next chapter at Napoli may demand he earns his place all over again.
Conte's departure opens the door for Massimiliano Allegri, who has reportedly agreed terms on a two-year deal to take charge at the Stadio Maradona. Allegri's preferred structure — a 4-3-3 — differs from the defensive rigour Conte imposed, and early tactical projections suggest Scott McTominay could be repositioned within the new midfield architecture. Where that leaves Gilmour in the pecking order is a legitimate question. Conte built his Napoli around compactness and pressing intensity; Allegri tends to prize positional discipline and vertical transitions. Whether Gilmour's profile fits that template is something Allegri will assess in pre-season.
Napoli finished the 2025-26 campaign in second place with 73 points from 37 matches — a record of 22 wins, seven draws, and eight defeats, with 57 goals scored and 36 conceded. It is a platform any incoming manager would welcome, and Allegri will inherit a squad with genuine quality. The question is which players he trusts to deliver it.
For Gilmour, the injury compounds the uncertainty. Missing the World Cup removes a stage on which he might have strengthened his case — both to a new club coach and to the wider market. He returns to Naples without that momentum, needing to prove himself to a manager who did not sign him and who has no obligation to play him.
The potential is documented. The opportunity to realise it must now be negotiated from scratch.