Colwill's contract extension is the most IMPORTANT move of Chelsea's summer

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 1 Aug 2023 00:17 CDT
• 5 min read

He was a cut above the rest during his loan spell at Championship side Huddersfield Town. He was exemplary in a Brighton side that qualified for the Europa League for the first time ever. And next season he will be playing for one of the biggest clubs in England.

The question was: would Levi Colwill be plying his trade under Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea or would the Blues sanction a sale to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool?

The answer now seems to almost certainly be at Stamford Bridge after Colwill and Chelsea reached an agreement over a new six-year deal at the club. It's not yet been officially signed, but the Blues have managed to convince one of the brightest young talents in the game to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.

Colwill, 20, excelled in the Young Lions' U21 European Championship glory - they lifted the trophy without conceding a single goal in the competition – but talk around where he'd be playing next season was what dominated the headlines.

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Chelsea's stance remained consistent - they wanted to keep Colwill and integrate him into the first-team. The player himself, however, reportedly wanted assurances over his role in the squad. Given the Blues have spent over €700 million since Todd Boehly took over as owner in 2022, including the purchase of fellow left-footed centre-back Benoit Badiashile in January, Colwill was perhaps right to be concerned.

The uncertainty surrounding his future alerted Liverpool, who were keen on adding him to their first-team squad this summer.

Reds midfielder Harvey Elliott, who was also in England's U21 squad, fuelled further speculation of a move to Anfield when he commented on one of Colwill's Instagram posts with the caption: "Let's have a chat." Elliott soon deleted the message and replaced it with: "Some player."

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While Virgil van Dijk currently occupies the position that would've suited Colwill best, Klopp trialled a new system at the end of last season - one that involved Trent Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield from right-back and Andy Robertson tucking inside from left-back to form a back three.

It's a style that both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have used to good effect over the past 12 months and early suggestions are that Klopp will persist with this tactic this year.

Although it brings the best out of Alexander-Arnold, it somewhat limits Robertson, whose game is mostly associated with lung-busting overlapping runs rather than a conservative role in the backline. Guardiola has worked wonders by using Nathan Ake, primarily a centre-back, on the left of his back four and that is something that Klopp could have perhaps trialled with Colwill if the Englishman had joined Liverpool this summer.

However, Chelsea have a generational talent on their hands and they've managed to tie him down to a new six-year deal this summer to fend off any immediate interest.

Why Chelsea couldn't afford to sell Colwill this summer

The 20-year-old is quite simply one of England's most promising young players and has been tipped for a Three Lions call-up ahead of Euro 2024 next year after his performances for Brighton last season. He even trained with the Three Lions senior squad before linking up with the U21s this summer.

Colwill epitomises the modern centre-back, with his speed and athleticism matched by an excellent passing range and technique. His line-breaking passes and press resistance is unmatched by most defenders in European football and he is also a huge presence in the air - his 3.32 aerial wins per 90 ranked in the top five percent of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues last season.

He was crucial to Roberto De Zerbi's expansive style of play at Brighton last year, and the fact he is left-footed is a massive attraction for teams seeking a balanced backline.

The presence of Benoit Badiashile means that Colwill may not be a guaranteed starter at Stamford Bridge this season, which is why Liverpool were keeping tabs on the situation. But his talent is deserving of a key role at his boyhood club.

For a side who've experienced the pain of selling Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah before they became world-class players, Chelsea would be wise to avoid a similar situation with Colwill.

Furthermore, he has the potential to become one of the world's very best central defenders if he's given a chance to shine. SciSports, FootballTransfers' partner, rate Colwill's potential as the highest of any centre-back at Chelsea.

The Englishman has a potential skill rating of 123.4, which exceeds Benoit Badiashile's potential of 122.1. The French star may be slightly better right now, according to SciSports' algorithm, but Colwill will become the better player in the future.

Furthermore, Colwill's potential exceeds Thiago Silva's current skill rating of 105.5, while the Brighton loanee is already Chelsea's third-best centre-back with a current skill rating of 96.3. That is better than Wesley Fofana's 95.2.

While Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi have both been allowed to leave Chelsea in recent years, Colwill is a different story. He is a different level to those two players, and has the potential to become one of the world's very best.

Selling him this summer simply couldn't have been an option for Chelsea, which is why his contract extension is just as important as any new signing.