RANGERS have agreed a £500,000 fee with Chelsea for Billy Gilmour – but the Ibrox starlet’s potential transfer has divided Scottish football.

Ex-Stamford Bridge ace Pat Nevin has leapt to the defence of the Blues youth system.

9 The youngster training with the Gers first team Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

9 Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003 Credit: Getty Images

However SFA Performance Director Malky Mackay urged Gilmour, 15, to SNUB the megabucks move.

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In the Roman Abramovich era, Chelsea have won the FA Youth Cup five times with their latest triumph coming in 2016.

Yet the famous competition has been anything but a pathway to the first team.

SunSport Online can reveal the 49 starters in the two-legged finals won by Chelsea have racked up a total of 113 first-team appearances.

That’s an average of just 2.3 per player.

And only 16 of the 49 have crossed the white line in the competitive senior ranks for the club.

The man with the most games is England Under-21 sensation Ruben Loftus-Cheek on 29 – with 16 as a substitute according to soccerbase.com.

Second is Josh McEachran who made 22 appearances before FIVE loan spells and a permanent move to Brentford two years ago.

Their biggest youth success stories in recent years have been Jeffrey Bruma, Andreas Christensen, Gokhan Tore and Nathan Ake.

But the quartet have had to find regular football away from Stamford Bridge.

9 Jeffrey Bruma tussles with Robert Lewandowski while on Holland duty Credit: Getty Images

9 Defender Ake in action for Bournemouth Credit: Reuters

Dutch international Bruma, 25, was a revelation for PSV Eindhoven before a switch to Wolfsburg last summer.

Turkish international Tore, also 25, revived his career with Besiktas.

Denmark centre half Christensen, 20, is in his second season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach.

The impressive defender is due to return in the summer after catching boss Antonio Conte’s eye.

9 Feruz has flopped at Chelsea and on loan at Hibs Credit: Action Images

9 Loftus-Cheek starring for England U-21s Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

9 McEachran was tipped for Stamford Bridge success Credit: Getty Images

Meanwhile Ake, 22, went back to Chelsea in the transfer window after establishing himself as a Premier League star with Watford and Bournemouth.

The senior ranks continue to elude former Celtic starlet Islam Feruz.

He is on loan at League One strugglers Swindon Town where he’s appeared on just three occasions.

Incredibly, the 21-year-old has only played 19 times in competitive senior football.

9 Nevin reckons Stamford Bridge would be "perfect" for youngster Credit: Reuters

9 Gilmour getting instructions from former Ibrox boss Mark Warburton Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Elsewhere, soon to be out-of-contract striker Dominic Solanke, 19, is a target for Liverpool, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig despite a solitary sub appearance.

For Scotland Under-17 star Gilmour - who turns 16 in June - a big-money switch to Stamford Bridge will be sorely tempting.

But the Ibrox wonderkid must also weigh up whether his long-term future is best served in Chelsea's youth ranks when he surely has a greater chance of first team football for Pedro Caixinha's Gers.

Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson insists the Light Blues haven’t given up hope of keeping the youngster.

He said: “We would rather not get that money, have him stay here and have a great career at Rangers.”

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