The teenager has impressed in recent weeks for Brighton (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea still see young centre-back Levi Colwill as a big part of their long-term plans despite signing Benoit Badiashile this month, according to reports.
The Blues have had a massive turnover of players at the back, bringing in four defenders in the last five months including centre-backs Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and now Badiashile.
Marc Cucurella can also play on the left side of a back three, with those four signings amounting to transfer fees in excess of £190million.
Incredibly, the west London club are also still interested in signing RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, who would likely command a record transfer fee for a defender if he leaves Germany in the summer.
However, despite their massive expenditure on new defenders, The Athletic report that Chelsea still view Colwill as part of their long-term plans.
The 19-year-old struggled for game time on loan at Brighton at the start of the season but has impressed more recently, starting the Seagulls’ last seven matches in a row following an injury sustained to Adam Webster.
The teenager has finally been given a consistent run in Brighton’s defence (Picture: Getty)
Colwill’s preferred position is as a left-sided centre-half, which is the same role Badiashile operates in – while Gvardiol is also left-footed and takes up that position too.
That had alerted Brighton to the possibility that they might be able to turn Colwill’s loan stay into a permanent move, while several other Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on the situation.
But Chelsea have no intention of selling the teenager at this stage and still rate him very highly.
There is an expectation that he will be given the chance to establish himself at Stamford Bridge in the coming years, particularly with more seasoned defenders like Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta in the twilights of their careers.
That said, Colwill will only have two years left on his contract in the summer and he is unlikely to commit to new terms until he has seen what role is waiting for him back at Chelsea.
Brazil captain Silva, meanwhile, is out of contract at the end of the season but could have his deal renewed for an extra 12 months given how well he continues to perform for the club.
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The teenager has impressed in recent weeks for Brighton.
