Liverpool have a "very strong interest" in signing Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill this summer, according to a new claim from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
How much is Levi Colwill worth?
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting players in English football, with many viewing him as a future England senior international, particularly after last weekend's Under-21s success for the Three Lions, in which he starred throughout the European Championship.
Liverpool have been linked with a summer move for Colwill, seeing him as a fantastic long-term option to bring in, although Chelsea are understandably desperate to keep hold of him, with some reports suggesting they could value him upwards of £75m. The defender is a boyhood Reds supporter, however, meaning he could be keen to move from Stamford Bridge to Anfield.
It would take a huge bid for the Merseysiders to be able to prise the youngster away from the Blues, but a new update suggests that Liverpool's interest isn't going away.
What's the latest on Levi Colwill to Liverpool?
Speaking to Born and Red [via The Boot Room], Romano claimed that Liverpool's interest in Colwill remains extremely strong:
"The interest is 100% confirmed and genuine. It is a very strong interest. People at Liverpool love Levi Colwill and they believe this is fantastic player. This is all people at the club. The interest is very strong. But at the moment, honestly, it’s really complicated to speak on this situation.
"Yesterday night, after England under-21’s won the Euros, I was asking again to Chelsea side and the answer I was getting back was he was going nowhere, he is our player, he is a crucial player and part of our project. I really feel Chelsea are prepared to fight for this player.
"I think the only way Levi Colwill will leave Chelsea this summer is in case the player goes there to meet Pochettino, the owners and the board and tells them let me go because I don’t want to stay here. That didn’t happen until now."
This is another positive update from a Liverpool perspective, with Colwill looking increasingly like a primary summer transfer target who Jurgen Klopp sees as someone with massive potential. Granted, Chelsea could simply hold firm and ensure the Reds can't get their man, but the situation could get awkward for Chelsea if the player himself demands a move.
At just 20, the Blues starlet really does look like a special talent, making 17 Premier League appearances on loan at Brighton last season, completing 88.6% of his passes and winning an average of 2.6 aerial duels per game.
A silky left-footed centre-back who can break the lines in possession and also defend well, Colwill would bring balance to Liverpool's back-line – former Huddersfield Town teammate Lewis O'Brien has tipped him to have a "fantastic career ahead of him at the highest level" – and he could also be seen as Virgil van Dijk's long-term replacement in the left-sided central defensive role, and someone who can become a true leader at the back for the next decade.
It has to be considered unlikely, though, due to Chelsea's stubbornness, but if the Reds suddenly got a deal over the line, it could be one of their most exciting and importance defensive signings in a long time.