Chelsea want to tie down 20-year-old to long-term contract amid Manchester City interest

Manchester City and Liverpool are eyeing Chelsea defender Levi Colwill

According to football.london, Premier League giants Chelsea appear to be in no mood to entertain interest from Liverpool and Manchester City in young defender Levi Colwill. They are looking to tie him down to a new long-term contract.

The 20-year-old came through the Blues’ youth ranks but is yet to make a single senior appearance for the club. He has instead spent the previous two years on loan at Huddersfield Town and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Colwill was a major force behind Hudersfield’s attempt to secure promotion back to the English Premier League in 2021-22. The Terriers made it all the way to the final of the Championship playoffs before a Colwill own-goal consigned them to a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

He is currently on loan at Premier League side Brighton who are enjoying a fine run of form under Roberto De Zerbi. The Seagulls are seven points ahead of us with two games in hand. He has made 15 appearances for the club this season and it could have been more had it not been for injuries.

His performances have left a lasting impression on both Liverpool and Manchester City. The Reds might be in the market for a central defender next summer. Joel Matip might be moved on while Virgil van Dijk has lost his mojo. For now, Ibrahima Konate is a sure starter when fit but Jurgen Klopp will need to bring in another centre-back who can be the Frenchman’s long-term partner at the back. Colwillc certainly fits the bill.

The same can be said of Pep Guardiola who appears ready to let Aymeric Laporte leave in the summer. Colwill is young enough to develop his game in the Catalan manager’s shadow and emerge as a key player for them in the years to come.

Chelsea, for their part, have invested in centre-backs in recent windows. Benoit Badiashile, Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesly Fofana have all arrived at the club but the Blues still see a bright future for Colwill at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s rather haphazard splurge is likely to see them having to sell next summer to balance the books. However, Colwill is a player we are better off retaining. Koulibaly isn’t any youngster while Thiago Silva will also have to be moved on. Having a player such as Colwill in the roster will make the transition easier once we get to it.

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At 20, Colwill has the world at his feet and could develop into a reliable defensive tour de force. He was considered for an England call-up last year, something that might have come to fruition had he not gotten injured. The future is bright for the youngster and the onus is on us to ensure that it takes place in Blue.