Levi Colwill out? Chelsea have wasted their academy AGAIN
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 15 Jul 2022 13:04 BST
- 5 min read
Chelsea are reportedly in talks with Presnel Kimpembe over a summer move for the Paris Saint-Germain star.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to add to the defensive options at his disposal following the departures of both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers.
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The Guardian have reported that Chelsea are targeting Kimpembe as their second centre-back signing of the summer after agreeing a fee with Napoli for Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
Raheem Sterling has already completed his move to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea ramp up the pressure in the market as Todd Boehly settles into life as interim sporting director.
The report detials that Tuchel is keen to sign three central defenders this summer, with Koulibaly being the first and Kimpembe being the second.
Di Marzio have also reported that Chelsea are set to re-open talks with Sevilla over a move for their French defender Jules Kounde.
It comes after news that Blues target Nathan Ake will not be leaving Manchester City this summer after Chelsea failed to meet his valuation and a mutual agreement that he would stay at the Etihad Stadium.
With three central defenders potentially arriving at Chelsea this window, it doesn't spell good news for Levi Colwill.
The Chelsea academy star has been linked with a move away, with the likes of Southampton, Everton and Brighton all interested in him. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also reported that Colwill is now likely to leave Chelsea on a permanent deal this summer as Tuchel and Boehly are hoping to sign three top centre backs.
Colwill has reportedly asked for reassurances over playing time this season, and while he doesn't expect to be a guaranteed starter, he wants to accumulate minutes in the first-team.
Chelsea are falling into the same trap again
Chelsea's famed Cobham academy has produced an incredible array of talent over the years and the Blues have benefitted greatly from that talent pool in recent years. Mason Mount and Reece James were both key members of the 2021 Champions League winning team, while Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Fikayo Tomori are among those to make the step up.
However, Chelsea simply haven't utilised their academy resourcefully enough recently. Buying expensive superstars is one way to make it to the top, but supplementing high-profile additions with academy graduates is the route Chelsea should veer towards more often.
Their academy set-up is one of the greatest in world football, but the club don't often treat it as such.
The pursuit of Ake earlier in the window and the current pursuit of Presnel Kimpembe highlights the problem. With Koulibaly and potentially Kounde to arrive this summer, if Kimpembe were to join as well he would complete eradicate the need for Colwill as a fellow left-footed centre-back.
Furthermore, in two years time, he won't be someone with a vastly superior skillset to the young Englishman, who is one of Chelsea's own. Of course, the Blues are about the here and now, but with Koulibaly and Thiago Silva already at the club, they can afford to be patient with the youngster.
Colwill spent last season on loan at Huddersfield and was a class above the rest in his first senior campaign, akin to James and Mount when they spent time on loan in the Championship. In fact, he's arguably the best talent Cobham have produced since Hudson-Odoi, who would have a far better reputation had he avoided injuries and been rewarded with more game time.
Colwill may not be at Kimpembe's level right now, but with mentoring from Tuchel and regular game-time, he has the talent to become an England regular.
But, if Chelsea sell him in order to purchase Kimpembe it will be yet another ill-thought-out decision, especially as the Frenchman is a very rash defender, with an error seemingly right around the corner. He's a talented player, for sure, but Colwill arguably deserves a place in the Chelsea squad more.
The biggest issue is simply that Koulibaly has featured most regularly as a left-centre-back, and so has Kimpembe due to being left-footed. As a result, Chelsea may sign two players who will directly block Colwill's path to the starting XI.
The aforementioned Tomori and Marc Guehi were both sold last summer, to AC Milan and Crystal Palace respectively, and both earned England call-ups and global recognition for their performances last season.
With Rudiger and Christensen leaving, that duo would've been perfectly suited to replace them. However, Chelsea opted to sell the pair last year and they've paid the price for it.
The club are in the same situation this summer with Colwill, who arguably has a higher ceiling than both Tomori and Guehi. The youngster is ready to contribute next season if given the chance, and spending a vast sum of money on Kimpembe instead of promoting him is not the solution.
Academy players don't have to be key members of the starting XI, but using them as squad players rather than buying average stars such as Davide Zappacosta and Ross Barkley would allow Chelsea to save money for the real standout signings.
Colwill may need time to adjust to life in Chelsea's first-team, but slowly integrating him into the squad next year would be a far better course of action than selling him to finance a move for Kimpembe.
If Chelsea are to ever break the mould of ruing their decisions to let their young stars leave, now is the time. If Colwill departs on a permanent deal this summer, the club will have yet again ignored their prodigious academy for the allure of a big-money signing.
