Chelsea insist Levi Colwill is not for sale after rejecting a £30million bid from Brighton for the central defender.
Colwill has enjoyed a brilliant season on loan at Brighton and Mauricio Pochettino has indicated he is in his plans at Stamford Bridge.
Brighton want to keep Colwill at the Amex next season but Chelsea have made it clear they have no intention of entertaining any offers for 20-year-old.
Manchester City and Liverpool have also held interest in Colwill, who is set expected to be pushing for England call-up ahead of Euro 2024 next summer.
But Pochettino is understood to have identified centre-half Colwill as a player who could be instrumental to his Chelsea project.
Colwill has two years remaining on his contract, but a one-year extension will automatically be triggered if he makes 15 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
An injury to Benoit Badiashile, who is expected to miss the start of next season after hamstring surgery, is set to present an opportunity for Colwill at Stamford Bridge.
