Liverpool find themselves among several admirers of Levi Colwill this summer; a group of clubs that is sure to have expanded following the Englishman’s exploits during the U21 Euros.
Whether Chelsea will be inclined to let another talented prospect fall through their fingers remains to be seen, though one might confidently venture it’s an unlikelihood bearing in mind Mauricio Pochettino’s clear interest in the player.
“Colwill is clearly a player a lot of clubs would love to get out of Chelsea. I think Mauricio Pochettino is going to make a big play to keep him,” Neil Jones wrote exclusively for EOTK Insider.
“He’s got some injuries, obviously Benoit Badiashile got an injury at the backend of last season and is probably going to miss the start, they’ve got some players that have left the club, so there is potential for Chelsea to go down a different direction and put in some of the younger players.
“There’s not just him, there’s Lewis Hall, Reece James, players like that who have come through.
“There is a possibility that they make him a central part. If they do, all bets are off in terms of a departure. If the conversation is ‘you’re fourth or fifth choice’ and he isn’t happy with that and won’t sign a new contract and wants to leave then Liverpool would love to be in that conversation.
“The question is, obviously, what price is it going to be? Chelsea have shown this summer with Mason Mount that they’re willing to hold out and not sell at the first sign of trouble.
“I think they’d be even more resolved to keep someone like Colwill because you don’t get many players like him, you don’t get many left-footed centre-backs, and you don’t get many who come through your academy.
“His star is very much on the rise at the moment. It would be a great deal for Liverpool to do but I think it will be a very difficult one.”
The Merseysiders are thought to be keen on pursuing a third midfield signing first before a centre-half, though that may very well depend on what exits can be first sanctioned.
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Making space in the squad seems a little counter-intuitive, of course, in light of three midfield exits (not including loan addition Arthur Melo).
Numbers aren’t necessarily the be and end all when it comes to evaluating squad strength, of course, as Liverpool will certainly tell you.
That said, we do find ourselves already well-stocked with quality centre-backs, several of whom find themselves with a point to prove – chief amongst them, Joe Gomez.
Given that we’ll inevitably be faced with the challenge of finding a successor to Virgil van Dijk some point in the relatively near future, however, it would make a certain amount of sense to have that box ticked off as early as possible.
We certainly don’t wish to see a repeat of the current transfer window in which we’ve left replenishing an entire department to the last minute.
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Liverpool are in fairyland, Colwill has 2 yrs left on his contract, he’s part of the new look Poch squad, and it’s a fairyland report
I hear that Ashley Young is to have medical at Everton. You must be in fairyland