Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has described Billy Gilmour as a “fabulous little player” but insisted there have been no talks with Chelsea over a loan move for the midfielder.
Gilmour is working his way back to fitness from the knee injury he picked up earlier this year, and Blues boss Frank Lampard is mulling over whether to send him out on a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge.
After coming through the ranks at Ibrox, a return to his native Scotland has been put forward as a viable option for the 19-year-old.
Gerrard appears to be a fan of the Scotland Under-21 international, but said no attempt has been made to strike a deal.
“There is always a lot of paper talk and a lot of speculation about a lot of players,” Gerrard is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard . "From what I see from afar, I think Billy Gilmour is pretty settled at Chelsea.
“He has obviously had an injury. Every time I listen to Frank he is really happy with the player.
"He's a fabulous little player but there has been no contact between the clubs or the managers. I know Frank extremely well and I know his coaching staff extremely well. I think that's just people putting two and two together and looking for stories.
“There is nothing in it from our side but what I will say is that he is a fabulous little player and we wish him well.”
After a five-minute cameo against Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this month, Gilmour played 90 minutes against Krasnodar on Tuesday.
Lampard was happy with Gilmour’s performance and, given how hectic the schedule is this season, the Blues boss may keep him at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of the campaign.
"I thought Billy was outstanding on his return, I felt very comfortable with him coming back in, he's trained so well, done his rehab and he deserved his chance tonight," Lampard said.
"The way he played today and how he trains I see him growing with us, he's going to be a Chelsea player, [it’s] just making sure the pathway is right for him.”