Levi Colwill is earning plenty of plaudits for his stellar season on loan at Brighton and it is clear the Seagulls are desperate to keep him at the Amex on a permanent basis.
That much was made clear by their £30million bid for the technically-gifted defender, but it looks as if Colwill shall stay put at parent club Chelsea. New manager Mauricio Pochettino is thought to be a keen admirer and has got big plans for the 20-year-old.
Brighton's offer was swiftly rejected by those at the top of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy, amid reports that suggest Chelsea aren't prepared to even entertain any offers for Colwill such is the high regard he is held in by key Blues figures.
The Seagulls were not the only side keeping tabs on Colwill's situation in West London, with two of Chelsea's 'big-six' rivals in Liverpool and Manchester City also touted with a move for the former Huddersfield Town loanee.
Pochettino feels that Colwill could be an integral part of his Chelsea revolution as the Argentine aims to restore the club to their former glories after a torrid season.
Colwill's contract situation is complex. He currently has two years left to run on his deal at Stamford Bridge, but a one-year extension will be activated automatically providing he makes 15 league appearances for Chelsea.
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Given Benoit Badiashile is expected to miss the start of next season after undergoing hamstring surgery, a window of opportunity has opened for Colwill to cement his place in the Chelsea first team.
Colwill is not the only Blues star Pochettino is keen on keeping, with full-back pairing Reece James and Ben Chilwell also catching the eye of the incoming new manager despite their respective fitness struggles.
N'Golo Kante may be nearing the twilight of his playing career but Pochettino wants to keep the Frenchman around to protect his back-line.
The former Tottenham boss will be aware of the size of the task that awaits him upon his return to the capital. Chelsea ended the season in 12th place, ensuring plenty of criticism was sent in the direction of owner Todd Boehly.
The American businessman spoke about the struggles the Blues have faced just before the campaign's close, as Boehly claimed: "You know they [the fans] want to win and we get that we want to win so you know I think our view though was that this is a long-term project and you know we're committed to the long-term.
"We very much believe that we're going to figure it out. We've got the best league in the world, we've got what I think is the top city in the world and we've got an unbelievable location in the top city in the world."
