Levi Colwill has joined England first-team training, replacing Brighton captain Lewis Dunk who has been forced to withdraw from international duty due to injury. The 20-year-old Chelsea star had been training with the Three Lions’ U21 side in preparation for this summer’s Under-21 European Championships and is set to return to them when his stint with the first-team is done. Colwill is being rewarded for an excellent campaign on loan at Brighton, where he helped the Seagulls qualify for Europe for the first time in their history. He is one of only two Chelsea players in the current England training camp alongside midfielder Conor Gallagher.
It is unclear where Colwill will be playing next season, however, with new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino keen to give him a chance at Stamford Bridge. Though the Blues have a number of centre-backs among their ranks, Colwill and Benoit Badiashile are the only natural left-sided ones and the club are keen not to lose yet another young and promising defender, having recently sold the likes of Guehi and Fikayo Tomori for way under their market value. Colwill wants to be guaranteed game time and is very open to the idea of returning to the Amex, with Brighton seeing a £30million offer rejected. Roberto De Zerbi’s side will not give up easily though and are said to be readying a club-record £40m bid to sign him.