Mauricio Pochettino was asked about Levi Colwill for the first time as Chelsea head coach on Friday afternoon.
The 20-year-old defender is attracting mass interest from elsewhere with just two years remaining on his Chelsea contract. After a superb season on loan at Brighton, Colwill has established himself as one of the country's top young talents and fellow Premier League clubs are interested in signing him this summer.
Liverpool have enquired multiple times about the England Under-21s international, including in the past week or so, football.london understands. However, Chelsea see Colwill as a key part of their plans next season and are determined to keep the defender at Stamford Bridge for the long-term.
"We spoke yesterday [Thursday] with Levi and Noni [Madueke]," Pochettino explained in his first press conference since being appointed Chelsea head coach. "One I know, Noni, from Tottenham, in the Under-18s.
"Of course Levi I didn't know but I introduced myself with him. I wished them all the best tomorrow [for the Euros Under-21s final]. It's true that, for me, it's difficult because it's Spain against England. I wish them all the best. We're waiting for them to be with the team, I think the day we will fly to America, they will join us."
Pochettino and Colwill will have a face-to-face meeting when he joins up with his teammates, which looks likely to be in the United States for the club's pre-season tour. The new Blues boss will need to assure Colwill he is part of his plans for the upcoming season as he looks for consistent first-team football.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All of the latest updates coming out of Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are of the belief that Colwill can develop into a world-class centre-back in the future and if he can continue his progression in recent seasons, then he will be well on his way to doing just that. Last season at Brighton was extraordinary for Colwill and the following stats back that up.
Colwill ranked fifth on the list of 'top ball carriers', as per Sky Sports, for those who played for 684+ minutes in the Premier League last season. The young Chelsea centre-back averaged 21.47 carries per 90 minutes for Brighton last season, while carrying the ball 247.79 metres on average during a game.
The only players above Colwill are Manchester City's Ruben Dias, Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin, Liverpool defender Joel Matip and Man City centre-back Aymeric Laporte. It shows just how impressive the Cobham graduate was at the Amex Stadium throughout the 2022/23 season.
At 6ft 2ins, Colwill is a big presence in the defensive line. Strong in the air, but equally as good with the ball on the deck – Colwill has all of the attributes a modern day defender needs. He's so composed on the ball as well and can genuinely create opportunities with his forward passing.
Alongside Thiago Silva, albeit for the short-term due to the Brazilian's age, there is a really exciting centre-back partnership on the cards. There's also scope for Wesley Fofana to start alongside the left-footed Colwill with Chelsea planning for the future.
