Brighton are willing to smash transfer record for Chelsea’s young star
By Evan Curnew
Amidst a summer that will have plenty of sales from Chelsea, Brighton wants to splash their cash on defender Levi Colwill
An exclusive report from Fabrizio Romano reveals that Brighton is charging up for a bid worth £40M in hopes of signing Levi Colwill. Romano reiterates that Chelsea does not want to sell Colwill as sees him as a part of the club’s long-term project under owner Todd Boehly. They are expected to turn down this bid as well. As reported by The Top Flight just a few days ago, Brighton already had a £30M bid for the defender rejected from Chelsea. The club’s current transfer record is Joao Pedro who signed for roughly £30M this summer.
Colwill spent this past season on loan from Chelsea at Brighton. Some hinted it was a gentleman’s agreement between the two clubs after the transfer of Marc Cucurella from Brighton to Chelsea last summer. This was just Colwill’s second professional season, having spent the 21-22 campaign with Huddersfield Town on loan in the Championship. Colwill who was still just a teenager at the time, helped the Terriers nearly reach promotion to the Premier League, losing in a playoff final to Nottingham Forest.
It took Colwill some time last season to adjust to the Premier League level, not making his league start until November. In the back half of the season, Colwill played regularly as a starter and ultimately helped Brighton reach European qualification.
Colwill is from the south coast of England. Hailing from Southampton where he lived until he moved to London at 9 years old to play for Chelsea.
Chelsea will likely ship out Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva is now 38, leaving room for Colwill to return and earn valuable minutes next season. In saying that, the club will not play in Europe next season having finished 12th. Fewer games for everybody means Colwill will need to fight for his minutes against the likes of Koulibaly, Badiashile, Fofana and Silva.