Brighton and Hove Albion are ‘weighing up’ an improved bid of £40m for Levi Colwill after Chelsea rejected their previous offer of around £30m.
What’s the latest on Levi Colwill?
Colwill, 20, has been one in a long list of standout players under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton this year.
The young Englishman joined the Seagulls on a season-long loan from Chelsea’s U21 set-up in August of last year and quickly developed into one of the Premier League’s most exciting young defenders.
Unsurprisingly, the south coast outfit are desperate to keep him on their books as they look to make a real go of Europa League football next year.
According to reports from Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mail, Brighton have already had a £30m offer rejected outright from the west London club, being told that Colwill is ‘not for sale.’
However, as Brighton know, perhaps better than any club in the league, player sales are a complicated process, so they won’t be put off by Chelsea’s stance.
According to Kajumba, the club’s board are now ‘weighing up’ a new and improved offer of £40m for the player, a club record for Brighton.
However, the deal could drag on further, as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano stated that the 6 foot 2 defender is part of Chelsea’s “long-term project.”
How does Moises Caicedo fit into all of this?
Tony Bloom does have an ace up his sleeve in this negotiation, Moises Caicedo.
The much sought-after Ecuadorian international has shot right to the top of Todd Boehly’s transfer list after missing out on the now Paris Saint-Germain-bound Manuel Ugarte.
The club has promised Caicedo that should the right bid come in for him, he can leave the Amex, and that bid is expected to be at least £80m.
Brighton might be able to use the interest in the 5 foot 9 midfielder as a makeweight in a deal to keep Colwill at the club permanently but at this stage, that remains to be seen whether that could be a genuine option or not.
Would Levi Colwill be a good signing for Brighton?
After a slow start to life in east Sussex, which saw him start just two of the first 15 Premier League games for the club, the £12.5m-rated titan has quickly established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Manager De Zerbi made it clear before their win against Arsenal that he wants to keep the defender, saying:
“I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years because it is difficult to find another left back with his qualities.
“This year his improvement has been fantastic, and I hope he can stay with us.”
The numbers from his season this year have also been very impressive.
According to FBref, Colwill has ranked in the top 1% in his position for both assists and attempted passes this season.
His ball-playing ability is highlighted by the fact that he is in the top 8% for both progressive passes per 90 and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90.
Clearly, Colwill has a bright future ahead of him, and if Bloom can work his magic, that future could be down on the south coast.