Levi Colwill, the 20-year-old defender, will make it clear to Chelsea that he does not want to stay unless he is guaranteed playing time by new boss Mauricio Pochettino. Colwill has spent the past season on loan at Brighton, where he impressed, notably shutting out Arsenal star Martin Odegaard in last month’s 3-0 victory. Brighton have seen a £30million bid rejected last month and are now readying a club-record £40m bid, though Chelsea are expected to reject that proposal too.
Colwill is highly rated by the west London club and features prominently in their long-term plans, while Pochettino is happy to welcome him into the fold. However, with Chelsea having spent big money on Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly last summer before picking up Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in January, and veteran centre-back Thiago Silva continuing to be a mainstay in the team, there could be limited opportunities for Colwill next season. According to talkSPORT, Colwill is not happy to settle for being a backup or rotation player and will push to leave unless he is guaranteed regular playing time. He knows how important consistent game time is in his development, and would prefer a transfer if Chelsea cannot give him the role he is demanding.
Badiashile has also picked up an injury which former interim boss Frank Lampard described as ‘complicated’ and there are suggestions the Frenchman will not return in time for the start of pre-season. This could grant Colwill the opportunity to nail down the left centre-back berth and impress Pochettino in pre-season. Alternatively, if he does push for an exit, he could be the perfect makeweight in a deal for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, with Chelsea looking to sign the Ecuadorian to bolster their midfield after missing out on Sporting’s Manuel Ugarte.