Levi Colwill is already one of the most desired young defenders ahead of the summer transfer window, and Chelsea has an easy decision to make
Chelsea defender reportedly set to terminate his contract this summer
Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he would like to work with Levi Colwill for a few more years, sending Chelsea a mixed message ahead of the forthcoming transfer window. On one hand, the Brighton boss could be implying that he wants to sign the defender permanently but, on the other, he could also be building himself up to replace Frank Lampard in the summer.
Colwill has been extensively linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge recently following some outstanding performances while out on loan at the Amex Stadium. The 20-year-old, who sees his contract with the Blues expire in 2025, has featured 13 times for the Seagulls this campaign, helping De Zerbi’s side retain six clean sheets.
football. London believes that the west Londoners have been quite impressed with Colwill’s growth and it’s expected that his future will be considered after he returns from loan. With Chelsea yet to make a decision, several of the Premier League’s biggest clubs have reportedly created a queue for the England youth international, who The Sun say may cost as much as £150million.
However, if De Zerbi was referencing the head coach job at Stamford Bridge instead then it seems he’ll have to surpass Mauricio Pochettino. football. London reports that the Blues have held numerous rounds of ‘good conversations’ with the former Spurs boss.
While Chelsea is yet to negotiate an agreement with the 51-year-old, there is confidence that he’ll remain in the dugout ahead of next season. Nevertheless, De Zerbi is an admirer of Colwill and his gushing comments highlight why Chelsea should stick to the teenager.
Ahead of Brighton’s showdown against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, the Seagulls coach said: “I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years. “It’s impossible to find another center-back, left center-back, with his quality. He’s a terrific man, I think he’s improving a lot. This year his improvement has been tremendous. I wish he can stay with us.”
In Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference, he acknowledged Brighton’s astute transfer strategy. The Arsenal boss said: “They have a really clear vision, they’ve been ahead of many other clubs in the way they have handled and made decisions. “The way they have developed players, recruited talent, the way they have set up the club, the people that they recruit as well is extremely outstanding. I think they have done incredibly well. The level of every organization is significantly better than it was been before. “The level of the players, the staff, and the coaches — everything has improved. Physically it’s considerably more difficult, and every detail and every phase of play is dominated correctly by every opponent.
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“That makes the game fascinating because there are a lot of things that can go your way or not go your way in the small margins, and that is the Premier League right now for every team.”
