Liverpool decide to sign superb Chelsea star as Blues reluctantly weigh up sale they’ll regret
Liverpool plan to let Chelsea know they’ll take a thriving young star off their hands if the Blues reluctantly decide to cash in to help fund blockbuster moves, according to a report.
The Blues are not in any strife with regards to conforming to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules. However, to fund signing the calibre of striker they’re dreaming of – such as Napoli’s Victor Osimhen – a sale or two may be required to top up the war chest.
To that end, the Independent claimed the Blues are open to cashing in on Conor Gallagher this month. Tottenham have shown interest, though Chelsea’s £50m price tag is a problem.
Selling Gallagher would appear to make little sense on the surface given he’s a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino and has captained the side in Reece James’ injury absences.
However, selling homegrown stars counts as pure profit on the balance sheet, something that is no doubt behind the stance Chelsea have adopted on Gallagher’s future.
Now, according to HITC, another Chelsea product, Levi Colwill, could be on the move.
Liverpool hope to succeed where Brighton failed
HITC state Liverpool are ‘ready to test’ Chelsea’s resolve regarding a player who was heavily courted last summer.
Colwill spent last season on loan to Brighton where he rose to prominence. His defence-splitting passes from left centre-back in particular caught the eye and Roberto De Zerbi attempted to re-sign the 20-year-old at season’s end.
However, Chelsea rejected Brighton’s £30m bid and even talk of a £40m attempt wasn’t enough to convince the Blues. According to Fabrizio Romano, Colwill is viewed as a cornerstone of Chelsea’s team for the better part of the next decade.
That meant interest from Liverpool also came to nothing. The Reds also liked what they saw during Colwill’s stint with Brighton and a summer move was sounded out.
Furthermore, Colwill – who is left-footed – could be viewed as the long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk on the left side of the centre-back pairing at Anfield. Van Dijk remains at the peak of his powers, though will turn 33 in the summer and won’t remain world class forever.
But per the latest from HITC, Chelsea’s willingness to sell Gallagher has rung alarm bells at Liverpool. Indeed, the report poses the question if they’re willing to cut Gallagher loose for financial purposes, maybe they’ll do the same with Colwill?
Liverpool certainly hope so and the report goes on to state the Reds have maintained a watching brief on the centre-back throughout the current season.
Furthermore, it’s claimed Liverpool ‘plan on letting Chelsea’s top-brass know that if they did want to cash in on Colwill – they are still interested.’
Chelsea must weigh up Colwill future carefully
Colwill is widely viewed as a future England international and may well make Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.
How much Chelsea would command before giving the green light to a sale isn’t stated in the piece.
However, Brighton’s previous failed bids give an indication and it seems unlikely Colwill would move for anything less than £50m. Online outlet Transfermarkt speculate the player’s current valuation to be £47.3m. Any sale to a bitter rival like Liverpool can expect to have a premium attached.
A mid-season move looks out of the question unless Chelsea are hell-bent on making major moves this month and putting the Colwill proceeds towards their efforts. Instead, a fresh approach in the summer could be one to keep an eye on.
The memories of selling Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah on the cheap before both players went on to become Premier League legends at Manchester City and Liverpool still haunts Chelsea fans to this day.
The Blues must carefully consider whether sacrificing a potential future superstar for the sake of getting a more readymade signing through the door in the short-term represents good business.
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