Football

Colwill’s Star to Shine Brighter Than Fofana and Badiashile at Chelsea

May 16, 2023 10:44 pm

Mauricio Pochettino will take over Chelsea’s reins from Frank Lampard at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Like Graham Pottern before him, Lampard has struggled to find the right balance in his starting eleven with 36 players to choose from.

The incoming Argentine manager’s first task will be the same. Hone in the players he wants in their dressing room and lets others leave. The problem will be exacerbated by the return of their loan army.

Malo Gusto will be welcomed at Cobham, providing cover to the injury-marred Ben Chilwell and error-prone Marc Cucurella. At 19, the French defender will likely take his chances for a first-team claim.

Levi Colwill’s Unique Conundrum

The same cannot be said about Levi Colwill. The England youth international has impressed with Brighton and will want first-team opportunities. He will have plenty of suitors for his signature and Pochettino will like to have him under his wing for yet another Chelsea rebuilt.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand hailed the Cobham graduate for his performances with Brighton. The retired defender opined that Colvill is better than the current alternatives at Stamford Bridge, citing Brighton’s higher league ranking to substantiate his claims.

“I think Levi Colwill is the best one they have got at Chelsea,” he said, speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel. “He’s better than Wesley Fofana and I think he’s better than Benoit Badiashile.

“Have you seen the way Levi Colwill is playing for Brighton? He has gone to Brighton, his team is higher than Chelsea. He is playing unbelievably well in that team.”

“Did you see the way Levi Colwill was slapping that ball around [against Arsenal]? This season, he has been better than Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, 100%,” Ferdinand added.

Brighton Seek Colwill’s Services

After selling Cucurella to Chelsea, Graham Potter secured Colwill’s services to fill the void left by the Spaniard. Potter reunited with Cucurella in West London, leaving Colwill in disarray.

The English defender took his time to curry Roberto de Zerbi’s favour. The 20-year-old has impressed the Italian enough to want his services for a longer period. De Zerbi believes the youngster still has levels to his game and together they can unlock them at Falmer Stadium.

“I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years,” he said before the game. “It’s difficult to find a another centre-back, left centre-back, with his quality.

“He’s a good guy, I think he’s improving a lot. This year his improvement has been fantastic. I hope he can stay with us.”

Demand from North London

The coming transfer window will be important for Chelsea as they are marred by Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP). The Blues’ plans for Colwill have not been unearthed but the defender remains one of the more lucrative stars who can easily be moved around and is in demand.

A move within the Premier League can come back to haunt them if they decide to cash in their academy graduate. Brighton can have a cash surplus after the sales of Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo to shore up their defence for the long haul.

However, a more likely scenario will be a move to a top-four rival. Arsenal want an able partner for William Saliba and will surely make enquiries after his dominating performances at the Emirates.

The Cobham graduate also has admirers from the other North London club. Tottenham have been impressed with Colwill’s performances with the Seagulls and has been tracking him for some time now.

 

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