Major blow for Liverpool with Chelsea now set to block move for ‘quality’ player after Boehly promise

Harry Watkinson 23 Apr 2023 2:46 PM

Chelsea will refuse to sell Levi Colwill this summer amid interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports.

The 20-year-old centre-back is currently enjoying a successful loan spell at Brighton, attracting the interest of several top European clubs.

However, despite recent speculation, it seems Chelsea are keen to keep hold of Colwill for at least another season.

As reported by TEAMtalk, the Blues could sell as many as 15 players this summer as Todd Boehly looks to balance the books.

However, Colwill will not be part of the firesale and could prove to become a key player for Chelsea in the future.

That is according to Football Insider, who claim that Chelsea will not entertain any bids for the defender – with Boehly promising him first-team minutes next season to convince him to stay.

Colwill has only featured 20 times for Brighton across all competitions this term. But, in those appearances, he has generally performed well.

Indeed, Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi recently said he ‘knows’ how good the youngster is, despite not giving him consistent minutes.

“I know the quality of Colwill,” he said in a press conference.

“Levi is a left-footer and it is an important quality for us because with Levi we can find different passes, different solutions in the build-up.”

Jurgen Klopp eyes defensive recruits

It’s no secret that Jurgen Klopp is looking to bolster his Liverpool defence, after lacklustre performances from the likes of Joel Matip and Joe Gomez recently.

Indeed, their instability at the back has reflected in their results this season – with the Reds’ currently in a disappointing seventh place in the Premier League table.

Josko Gvardiol was considered to be the Reds’ primary target. However, with RB Leipzig slapping an £80m price tag on the Croatia international, they have now pulled out of the race.

Another potential option is Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae. He has been vital to his team’s success this season, with the Italian giants sitting 14 points clear at the top of the Serie A.

While Colwill does not yet have the pedigree of Gvardiol or Min-jae, he certainly has the potential to become a top player. With that in mind, Klopp will be disappointed to miss out on the Chelsea star.

The question for Chelsea, now, is where the defender will slot into their starting XI after promising him first team action.

Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly set to be axed by Boehly this summer after he has failed to have the desired impact; so Colwill could potentially slot in for him.

Also, Thiago Silva remains a key player for the Blues, but at the age of 38, is coming to the end of his career.

Whether or not Colwill can replace him in the long-term remains to be seen, but that may have been in the club’s thinking when they blocked Liverpool’s approach.

Liverpool Levi Colwill