SCOTLAND star Billy Gilmour could be heading out on loan to La Liga with Villarreal leading the race for the Brighton midfielder.

The 21-year-old joined the Seagulls in a £9 million move on the last transfer deadline day, but the former Rangers starlet has yet to make any impact at the club.

He's failed to start a league game and has played a total of just 13 minutes of Premier League football in his four substitute appearances.

Brighton are keen to send him out on loan in January to get some game time and several top flight Spanish clubs have shown interest in Gilmour - who won his 16th international cap last month when he started against Turkey in a 2-1 defeat and lasted 67 minutes.

Villarreal boss Quique Setien has targeted Gilmour to join up in January with Villarreal currently sitting just outside the European places in La Liga.

The former Barcelona boss replaced Unai Emery, who left for Aston Villa, in October and wants his own players in for the second half of the season.

With new Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sanctioning the move to allow Gilmour to get game time, he could be the latest Scot to try his luck abroad.

The last Scot to play and score in La Liga was Oliver Burke when he was on loan at Alaves. He is now at Werder Bremen.

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