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LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 13, 2023: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (L) and Chelsea's Levi Colwill during the FA Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool still “like” Levi Colwill – but 3 key reasons make transfer unlikely

A new report has claimed Liverpool are still interested in Levi Colwill however, there are at least three reasons that make this transfer unlikely to happen.

Having been linked to Colwill in previous windows, rumours have already begun to circulate ahead of the summer.

According to Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail, “Liverpool like” Colwill and “Arne Slot is chasing a versatile left-footed defender.”

However, his contract doesn’t expire until 2029 and “Chelsea want the 21-year-old academy graduate to stay this summer.”

While it is clear Liverpool hold a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old defender, there are a few reasons why a transfer this summer is unlikely – cost being the main obstacle.

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 13, 2023: Chelsea's Levi Colwill (L) and Liverpool's Ben Doak during the FA Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Chelsea would likely command a big fee for their No. 26, given he is homegrown and signed a new deal last summer that lasts until 2029.

A positive for Liverpool is that the London club do need to raise funds in order to comply with profit and sustainability (PSR) rules, but Chelsea seem to be doing that through underhand methods rather than through player sales.

For example, Jacob Steinberg wrote in the Guardian: “Chelsea’s accounts, published last weekend (April 14), revealed the club made a loss of £89.9 million in the last financial year.

“That figure would have been £166.4 million without the hotels sale from Chelsea FC Holdings Ltd to Blueco 22 Properties Ltd. Both companies are subsidiaries of Chelsea’s holding company, Blueco 22 Ltd.”

While the Reds didn’t land Colwill last summer, they were in the market for a left-sided defender and the early indications are that Slot will also be looking to improve in that area.

With Joel Matip leaving, Liverpool are down to Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez and the injury-prone Ibrahima Konate in the centre-back area.

At left-back, Kostas Tsimikas can perform but takes too long to get up to speed. Andy Robertson is still a quality player but, at 30 years old, Liverpool need to start planning for the future.

Given Slot likes to play with attacking full-backs, this “versatile left-footed defender” the new coach reportedly wants would spend more time playing centre-half than hugging the touchline.