Liverpool, Man City go ‘head to head’ in Chelsea ‘fire sale’ as Blues look to ‘generate close to £200m’

Liverpool and Manchester City are keen on raiding Chelsea for young defender Levi Colwill in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Blues have spent around £600m on transfers over the last couple of transfer windows with all the changes putting them in the bottom half of the Premier League.

It has been a disastrous season at Stamford Bridge with the first-team squad currently being managed by Frank Lampard with the Chelsea hierarchy sacking both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this campaign.

Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and hanging on in the Champions League gave them a slim chance of overturning the deficit in the home leg at Stamford Bridge next week.

And now the Evening Standard claim that both Liverpool and Man City are hoping to take advantage of their ‘fire sale’ this summer with Todd Boehly looking to recoup some money and trim the squad.

The Reds and the Citizens are ‘ready to raid’ Chelsea for Colwill ‘ as clubs queue up to take advantage of financial threats by poaching homegrown stars from Stamford Bridge’.

Both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have identified Colwill – who has played 15 games on a season-long loan deal at Brighton this season – as ‘a top target’ this summer with Liverpool and City to go ‘head to head’ for his signature.

Colwill is ‘viewed as a future England star’ by both Premier League clubs and Chelsea ‘do not want to lose Colwill and are set to enter contract talks with the Cobham graduate to ward off interest’.

But Liverpool and Man City ‘sense an opportunity’ as the Blues look to stay in line with the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Evening Standard add: ‘Selling some homegrown stars would be pure profit under the new version of UEFA’s financial sustainability rules, and offloading Colwill, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could generate close to £200m.’

Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink recently heaped praise on Colwill with the Dutchman predicting a big future for the England under-21 international.

When asked who he enjoys watching as a pundit, Hasselbaink replied: “There’s a few. I really like James Maddison because he’s just so creative and I think he could be in line for a big transfer soon. I also really like Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford who has really surprised me, he’s come back so strong.

“I’ve also enjoyed watching Levi Colwill on loan at Brighton, he’s really impressed me. I think he’s going to develop into a really big player.