Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly set to battle for the signature of Chelsea defender Levi Colwill this summer.
The 20-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for the West Londoners and is currently plying his trade on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Colwill, who spent last season on loan with Championship club Huddersfield Town, has made 15 appearances for Brighton in all competitions this term, including 10 outings in the Premier League.
The England Under-21 international has impressed with the Seagulls and is rated highly by parent club Chelsea, but his long-term future at Stamford Bridge is believed to be uncertain.
According to the Evening Standard, Premier League giants Man City and Liverpool are eyeing a summer swoop for Colwill and have identified the left-footed centre-back as a top target.
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The report adds that both the Citizens and the Reds believe Chelsea may be forced to cash in on Colwill amid concerns over Financial Fair Play regulations.
Since the arrival of Todd Boehly and his consortium at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have forked out in excess of £600m on new players across the last two transfer windows, including the British transfer record addition of midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January.
The West Londoners are expected to trim their first-team squad in the summer and may look to offload a combination of fringe players and academy graduates who have attracted interest from elsewhere.
Colwill is said to be one of a number of homegrown players along with the likes of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi who could be sold by the Blues to generate pure profit worth up to £200m this summer.
With Chelsea sitting 17 points behind the top four in the Premier League and trailing 2-0 to Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final tie, the Blues look set to miss out on qualification for Europe's premier club competition and will subsequently miss out on a £90m+ TV deal for next season, further emphasising the need to balance their books to comply with FFP.
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Colwill is under contract at Stamford Bridge until June 2025, and a recent report claims that Chelsea are keen to tie the defender down to a new deal.
However, the prospect of gaining regular first-team football with the Blues seems slim considering Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Benoit Badiashile and Trevor Chalobah are all currently battling for starts at centre-back, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Marc Cucurella have also occupied central defensive roles this term.
Regular game time may not be guaranteed at Man City or Liverpool either, but the former are believed to be prepared to let Aymeric Laporte leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, freeing up a defensive slot in Pep Guardiola's squad.
Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, is also looking to freshen up his backline at Anfield, with the long-term futures of Joel Matip and Joe Gomez said to be uncertain.
Man City and Liverpool could face competition from Brighton for Colwill's signature, although the Seagulls' chances or keeping the youngster on a permanent basis will likely depend on whether they qualify for Europe, with Roberto De Zerbi's men currently sitting seventh in the Premier League table.
Oliver Thomas
