Reports suggest that Liverpool and Manchester City are both interested in signing Chelsea defender Levi Colwill this summer. The 20-year-old has come through Chelsea’s academy but is yet to make a first-team appearance. However, he impressed on loan at Huddersfield Town last season and has shown even further improvement during his loan stint at Brighton this term.
According to the Evening Standard, both Liverpool and City believe they can capitalise on Chelsea’s need to sell players in order to balance their outlay on new signings, which is in excess of £600 million since the ownership change last year. Brighton are also interested in making Colwill’s loan deal permanent, while Chelsea’s hierarchy could decide to sell if the defender does not wish to renew his contract, which will have two years left to run this summer.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear how important Colwill has been to his side, saying: “I know the quality of Levi Colwill. Levi is a left-footer and it is an important quality for us because with Levi we can find different line passes, different solutions in the build-up, in the last 40 metres.”
Reports in January had claimed that Chelsea are keen to integrate Colwill into their first-team squad next season. However, since Colwill left for Brighton last August, Chelsea have signed Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, while Kalidou Koulibaly also joined Stamford Bridge last summer.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool or Manchester City will be successful in their pursuit of Colwill, but it is clear that the young defender has a bright future ahead of him.