Fears Levi Colwill could turn down a new Chelsea deal amid the manager’s uncertainty and the transfer of interest from Premier League rivals
CHELSEA defender Levi Colwill could reportedly turn down a new contract due to the Blues manager’s uncertainty.
The centre-back, 20, has attracted interest from Manchester City and Liverpool after an impressive loan campaign at Brighton.
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The Seagulls are also eyeing the possibility of signing the England Under-21 international on a permanent basis in the summer.
Chelsea are hoping to tie Colwill to a long-term contract and don’t want to sell the young defender.
He is under contract until 2025 with an option for a further 12 months if he plays a certain number of games.
However, The Athletic reports that Colwill wants to wait until the Blues announce their new permanent head coach before deciding on his future.
Frank Lampard has taken over the club on an interim basis but is expected to leave in the summer.
Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann have been considered as potential successors to Graham Potter, who was sacked earlier this month.
And while the club have plans for Colwill, he’s still evaluating his options before considering a contract extension.
Chelsea have a variety of centre-backs in their squad – including Kalidou Koulibaly, Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah.
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Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta can also play in the middle.
And the Blues will miss out on European football next season, meaning Colwill’s opportunities at Stamford Bridge could be limited.
And if he doesn’t sign a new deal, Chelsea can sell him to raise funds to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
Owner Todd Boehly has spent £600m over the last two transfer windows.
Colwill has made 15 appearances for Brighton this season, keeping six clean sheets.
As well as his loan spell with the south coast side, he also caused quite a stir with his loan spells at Huddersfield during the 2021/22 championship campaign.
He made 32 appearances for The Terriers, helping them reach the play-off final before they were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest.
Colwill wore the No. 26 jersey while at Huddersfield, leading many Chelsea fans to dub him the “new John Terry”.
