Chelsea ace Levi Colwill wants to sit down and hold talks with new manager Mauricio Pochettino in order to decide his future at Stamford Bridge.
The highly-rated defender, 20, shone last season on loan at Brighton, who are reportedly willing to pay a whopping £40million to sign him permanently. Colwill is open to rejoining the Seagulls ahead of their first campaign as Europa League club but can also see himself making it at Chelsea, where he's been since under-9 level.
Considered one of English football's brightest talents, the left-footed centre-back has just helped his national side reach the semi-finals of the under-21 European Championships. Soon Colwill will be home, though, and hopes to meet with Pochettino face-to-face and discuss his prospects in West London.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have no intention of parting ways with their academy graduate on a permanent basis, despite Brighton's interest. On Saturday, it was claimed that Pochettino was ready for sit-down talks with Colwill, having officially taken over as Chelsea manager from July 1.
The new Blues boss has a packed in-tray and the 20-year-old's future is one of the various spinning plates which he'll have to deal with during the summer transfer window. Brighton have already seen a £30m bid for Colwill rejected by Chelsea, signifying their serious intent to sign him.
Born in Southampton, he's no stranger to the south coast and demonstrated that fact across 22 appearances under Graham Potter and later Roberto de Zerbi. It was Colwill's second loan spell, having also impressed for Huddersfield over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, cutting his teeth in the Championship.
He's now more than capable of playing in the Premier League regularly, although humbly admitted ahead of England's U21 quarter-final victory over Portugal that he still has much to learn. "I'm getting loads of praise but I'm still making mistakes that not everyone sees because I'm getting so much praise," Colwill told a press conference. I know I can be much better and have so much more to come."
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Prior to the tournament, England boss Gareth Southgate invited him to train with the senior squad, an experience which only made Colwill hungrier for more.
"Going up and training with them is one thing, but I've got to keep up my performances next season. I need to play. I need to do well," he affirmed. "There are so many things that come into you going back there. I don't think it's a case of, 'I'm close now, I might go up on the next camp'.
"I've got to keep playing, and playing well. That will be a big thing for me next season. Gareth watches everything. You have to take that into consideration. It doesn't matter if he's watching training because he always hears things when he isn't. There is never a time to take your foot off the gas.
"You always have to be at 100 per cent because you know he's watching. There are no excuses. That is how you become one of the best. He told me he'd be here to watch us and I think that's motivational, not just for me but the whole team knowing the senior coach is coming out. It is a big thing, to be honest. It's that extra push."
