Liverpool started to report back for pre-season training over the weekend, with a large group of first-team players expected back in the next few days.
One man who will be taking a short break is Curtis Jones. The midfielder scored the winning goal in the UEFA Under-21 Euros final against Spain. Teammate Harvey Elliott also took home a winner’s medal and made some good contributions across the tournament.
Another star of the tournament who lined up for England is Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. The 20-year-old has been linked with a possible switch to the Reds, who have a ‘very strong interest’, according to transfer king Fabrizio Romano.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we spoke to experienced LFC journalist Neil Jones for the latest on Colwill.
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Neil said:
“I spoke to someone at Liverpool start of the year. It was a half throw-away comment almost: ‘Yeah, of course, if you could get a Levi Colwill in, you’d do it.’
“The vibe then – as now – was pretty much no chance. Getting him out of Chelsea for a start. Chelsea sell to Liverpool? Probably not.
“If he was to leave Chelsea it would have to almost be him forcing that situation. It would have to be him basically saying, ‘I’m not signing the contract, I don’t want to play for you’ and burning some bridges.
“I think it does feel like Chelsea are going to really fight for this, to keep hold of him. It’s a shame because you’re looking at a succession plan if you had Levi Colwill and Ibrahima Konaté at your club. And that would be pretty, pretty impressive for the future. That would be a huge part of your rebuilding done.
“Absolutely the player is liked and there’s interest. If there was a deal to be done, Liverpool would be right in there. I just don’t think Chelsea are going to at this stage.”
Redmen Reacts
Chelsea’s poor season and change of manager have potentially harmed Liverpool’s chances of landing Levi Colwill. Kalidou Koulibaly has departed for Saudi Arabia, and club captain César Azpilicueta is also coming to the end of his time at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino has previously utilised younger players as part of his system-driven, high-energy approach to football. These factors provide Colwill – who Brighton boss said was ‘improving a lot’ during his loan spell on the south coast – with an ideal opportunity to break into the first team.
Chelsea have struggled to integrate academy prospects such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the past, but with Thiago Silva approaching 39 years old, the club hierarchy may be able to convince the recently crowned Euros champion that he is better off staying.
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