Chelsea risk losing Man City and Liverpool target if they miss out on Europe

Tom Weber

• 17 Apr 2023 10:38 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea missing out on European football will jeopardise their ability to hold on to talented defender Levi Colwill, who will have no shortage of suitors in the summer.

Though not a regular starter, the 20-year-old defender has impressed at Brighton this season, with his loan club currently sitting four spots and 10 points above his parent club in the Premier League table.

The youngster has made 15 appearances for the Seagulls this term, mostly playing understudy to the outstanding and more experienced Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster while also being forced to watch from the sidelines due to injury late last year. Despite his limited number of minutes, this loan stint will be considered a success and a valuable step in his development.

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According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Chelsea "have no intention of selling or loaning him out this summer." Given their dismal campaign, however, it likely won't be entirely up to them since missing out on Europe could severely restrict the 20-year-old's opportunities for senior football next term.

Managers and contracts

According to Ornstein's colleague, Simon Johnson, Chelsea desperately want to tie the young talent down to a long-term deal as they have done with many of their players lately, but the defender "is expected to wait for Chelsea to appoint their new permanent head coach before deciding whether to sign a contract extension."

Indeed, "he appreciates the new coach will have his own opinion and may have transfer targets that play in his position in mind." His current deal is in force until 2025 and is equipped with a "very achievable" performance-based automatic one-year extension, but clubs are reportedly lurking. Brighton want to keep him permanently, but more intriguingly, Liverpool and Manchester City are monitoring the situation.

READ: Why Chelsea can't afford to sell Levi Colwill amid Man City and Liverpool interest

Given the wealth of defensive options already at the club, the uncertainty over the head coaching position and the interest from other elite sides, Colwill may have doubts about whether staying at Chelsea is the best option for his development.