Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino sees young centre-back Levi Colwill as a potential regular next season, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.
Where does Levi Colwill's future lie?
The 20-year-old is arguably one of the most highly-rated young players in the country at the moment, being viewed as a future England regular by some.
Last season, Colwill was loaned out to Brighton for the entirety of the campaign, in order to get more minutes under his belt, and while he didn't always manage to oust Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, he still started 13 times in the Premier League and looked the part.
Now back at Chelsea, there has been a huge amount of talking regarding the centre-back's future, with Liverpool seemingly interested in making a move for him this summer. The Reds see him as a special prospect who they are willing to break the bank for, but the Blues are understandably reluctant to let him leave.
Colwill's current Chelsea deal expires in the summer of 2025, and while that still gives the club some leeway over an extension, time is slowly running out and the player's head could be turned by a move to Anfield.
Will Levi Colwill be a regular at Chelsea?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Pochettino could make Colwill a regular starter for Chelsea in 2023/24, potentially alleviating fears over his exit:
"I think that he's certainly a player that is expected to be embraced by Pochettino. The noises that I'm hearing from people that cover Chelsea closely are that Colwill could genuinely come into the thinking for a starting role."
This is hugely encouraging news from a Chelsea perspective, with Colwill someone they simply must keep hold of this summer, especially having already lost another homegrown player in Mason Mount, who has completed his move to Manchester United.
At 20, there is so much time for Colwill to mature into one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and given Pochettino's preference for blooding youth, it would be so refreshing to see him show trust in him from the off next season, starting him at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend.
The centre-back is in the final of the Under-21 European Championship on Saturday evening, as England take on Spain, and success in that competition would only further enhance his ever-growing legend.
Should Colwill become a key starter for Chelsea from this point on, he could even take Harry Maguire's place in England's team at Euro 2024 next summer, should his rise continue to be as meteoric as it currently is. He has all the tools to become a massive player for the Blues, enjoying an 88.6% pass completion rate for Brighton last season and also 2.2 clearances per game, showing he can be a class act in possession and also muck in defensively, when required.
The thought of losing him to a rival in Liverpool doesn't bear thinking about, and while Chelsea can't promise him European football next term, the hope is that he is made to feel wanted by Pochettino and plays a big part in the rebuild at Stamford Bridge.
