Tottenham have reportedly entered the race for Chelsea’s highly-rated defender Levi Colwill.
Liverpool and Manchester City are also keen on securing the services of the Blues defender while Brighton want to sign him permanently after impressing on loan last season. Chelsea have offered Levi Colwill a new contract to ward off interest from Premier League clubs but he is seeking assurances over his game time from the club’s hierarchy before committing his future at Stamford Bridge.
According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham are tracking Levi Colwill amid concerns they could lose out on the signing of defender Mickey van de Ven from Wolfsburg.
Spurs have held talks with top defensive target Mickey van de Ven but fear that Liverpool, who are also in the market for defensive reinforcements, could hijack a deal. As a result, they have lined up Colwill as a potential option.
Colwill, 20, played a key role in England’s Under-21 European winning campaign earlier this month. He started five out of six games as the young Three Lions conceded zero goals throughout the tournament.
Levi Colwill to Tottenham—A smart acquisition?
Levi Colwill is set to join Chelsea for their pre-season tour of the United States, with Mauricio Pochettino and the club adamant on keeping hold of the 20-year-old defender. The Blues have reiterated the youngster isn’t for sale and Pochettino is expected to hand him a first-team role in the 2023/24 season, despite competition from Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah in central defence.
Yet, that hasn’t stopped many Premier League clubs including Tottenham from tracking Colwill. Spurs need to improve their defence after enduring a highly disappointing 2022/23 season, finishing eighth on the table. None of Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Clement Lenglet or Eric Dier performed consistently in central defence, so new boss Ange Postecoglou is keen on adding a new defender who make an immediate impact at the club.
Having caught the eye at Brighton last term and recently with England at the Under-21 European Championships, Colwill is in Postecoglou’s sights. The young Englishman, whose current deal is due to expire in 2025, is far from convinced that his long-term future should be at Stamford Bridge despite Pochettino’s insistence that he will get chances to prove himself in the upcoming campaign.
As a result, the opportunity to join Spurs could prove to be difficult to turn down if Postecoglou assures Colwill regular game time. Colwill is among the brightest young English talents, and if Spurs can persuade Chelsea into selling their academy starlet, he could become an indispensable asset for Postecoglou’s side and one of the first names on their team sheet.
As Postecoglou plans to switch to a back four from Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-3/3-4-2-1, the highly-rated Colwill could take the left-sided spot at the heart of Spurs’ backline and form a strong partnership with Romero. Having a left-footed, ball-playing defender like Colwill would also bring much-needed balance to their defence.
Should Spurs guarantee him regular game time as well as time to continue his development, it is difficult to see how Colwill will be able to resist the chance to play under Postecoglou.