Can Chelsea keep Levi Colwill?

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After the exits of Mason Mount to Manchester United, Kai Havertz to Arsenal and a mass exodus of players to the Saudi Pro League, another Chelsea star faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, English centre-back Levi Colwill.

Colwill was a breakout star while on loan at Brighton this past season, evolving into one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the Premier League and Europe.

At just 20 years old, Colwill has shown levels of performances beyond his years. Brighton’s success was due to multiple influences, with Roberto De Zerbi’s brand of football bringing the best out of stars like Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Kaoru Mitoma. Even with those names mentioned, Colwill was arguably one of Brighton’s most influential players last season.

Colwill’s ability in possession is already amongst the best central defenders in the Premier League, with his vision and passing range providing Brighton with the perfect platform to attack and control games.

If we benchmark Colwill’s profile amongst players of similar age and ability, we can see there is a high demand for left-footed central defenders across Europe. Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio has been watched by many big clubs and if not for his 40-million-pound release clause, Sporting would be demanding a fee closer to 60 million.

Red Bull Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol is wanted by Manchester City and is regarded as the best prospect in his position in the world. Leipzig are only willing to listen to offers that would make the Croatian the most expensive defender in football history. His value cannot be understated.

From Chelsea’s point of view, losing Colwill would be a catastrophe. With his skillset and mentality he is certain to become one of the best defenders in the world. His versatility also adds to his value as he is capable of playing in a back-four, back-five and even in a back-three. Chelsea have no shortage of competition which may be a stumbling block as the 20-year-old is ready to play regularly or leave.

Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva, Trevor Chalobah and Malang Sarr are all on the books in the centre back position. If new manager Mauricio Pochettino chooses to play a back-four, like his time at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, Colwill will struggle to nail down regular first-team football.

Brighton attempted to make Colwill’s loan permanent, offering a club-record 40-million-pounds in June, but this was immediately rejected by Chelsea.  Liverpool are reportedly very keen on signing Colwill as they feel he is perfect for their new system and an ideal successor to Virgil van Dijk’s position within the squad.

What it will come down to at the end of the day is playtime.  If Chelsea are keen on keeping Levi Colwill, he will need to play his part in the squad.  If Chelsea are not capable of delivering regular minutes, there are certainly big teams ready to guarantee a place in their first team.

Photo: Twitter @enzoeterna

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Dylan Johnson