BRIGHTON & HOVE, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 14, 2023: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (L) and Brighton & Hove Albion's Levi Colwill during the FA Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at the Falmer Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool “ready to raid” Chelsea with “top target” centre-back identified

Liverpool have once again been linked to a Chelsea player amid more reports of interest in their young centre-back.

The Reds are said to have joined Man City in monitoring the situation of Levi Colwill, who is currently enjoying a successful loan spell at Brighton.

The 20-year-old could form part of a summer “raid” of Stamford Bridge, with Liverpool also strongly linked to midfielders Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher.

The Evening Standard‘s Nizaar Kinsella reports that both the Reds and Man City have displayed interest in Colwill, as too Brighton, with Liverpool viewing the left-footed defender as a “top target” ahead of a potential summer rebuild.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 27, 2022: Germany's Jan Thielmann (R) icb England's Levi Colwill during the International friendly between England Under-21’s and Germany Under-21’s at Bramall Lane. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Chelsea are likely to offload a number of players this summer to comply with FFP regulations, and Colwill joins a list of players who have been linked with moves away in the upcoming transfer window.

The interest in the centre-back is growing and Kinsella claims that Chelsea still aim to ward off their rivals by opening fresh contract talks, despite the pressure to balance the books.

The reports come just weeks after Liverpool journalist David Lynch indicated that Liverpool were “keeping an eye” on the Brighton loanee in Football Insider‘s The Insider Show, while Goal‘s Neil Jones also noted the club’s ‘admiration’ for the player.

While Liverpool’s midfield appears to be the main priority this summer, there is certainly an opening for a new defender given the Reds’ current situation at the back.

Joel Matip will enter the final year of his contract next season and will be 33 in 2024/25, should that deal be extended.

Nat Phillips has been linked with a move away from Anfield for a number of seasons, while Joe Gomez continues to display signs of inconsistency.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 28, 2021: Chelsea's Mason Mount during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Virgil van Dijk‘s age and Ibrahima Konate‘s injury record also remain a background concern.

A triple swoop of Mount, Gallagher and Colwill would see the Reds pick up three English players from West London in what could be a welcome boost for the club’s homegrown quota, but Chelsea may not be too eager for that eventuality.

Liverpool look set to lose James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for free this summer and will need to balance the books to act in accordance with the Premier League requirements.

Colwill has made 17 appearances for Brighton in all competitions this season and has been capped four times by England under-21s.