Levi Colwill gives ultimatum to Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino over transfer

Chelsea youngster Levi Colwill will make it clear to the club that he does not want to stay unless he is guaranteed playing time by new boss Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.

The 20-year-old has spent the past season on loan at Brighton where he impressed enormously, notably shutting out Arsenal star Martin Odegaard with a monumental man-marking job in last month’s 3-0 victory.

Colwill is thought to be keen to continue working under Roberto De Zerbi but the Seagulls saw a £30million bid rejected last month.

They are prepared to go even higher and are now readying a club-record £40m bid, though Chelsea are expected to reject that proposal too.

Colwill is highly rated by the west London club and features prominently in their long-term plans, while Pochettino is happy to welcome him into the fold.

But Chelsea have a plethora of centre-backs at present, having spent big money on Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly last summer before picking up Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in January.

Veteran centre-back Thiago Silva – the club’s Player of the Season – continues to be a mainstay in the team, meaning there could be limited opportunities for Colwill next season.

But, according to talkSPORT, Colwill is not happy to settle for being a backup or rotation player and will push to leave unless he is guaranteed regular playing time.

The defender knows how important consistent game time is in his development, while he is thought to be against going out on loan again and would prefer a transfer if Chelsea cannot give him the role he is demanding.

But with Silva turning 39 this summer and Koulibaly free to leave if a good offer comes in, Chelsea are loathe to lose Colwill.

Badiashile has also picked up an injury that former interim boss Frank Lampard described as ‘complicated’ and there are suggestions the Frenchman will not return in time for the start of pre-season.

That could grant Colwill the opportunity to nail down the left centre-back berth and impress Pochettino in pre-season.

Alternatively, if he does push for an exit, he could be the perfect makeweight in a deal for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, with Chelsea looking to sign the Ecuadorian to bolster their midfield after missing out on Sporting’s Manuel Ugarte.

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