At one stage, it looked like Liverpool had made a number of transfers with Chelsea this time of the summer. It has been revealed that Mauricio Pochettino’s new side need to change players by June 30 to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP), and several options are considered attractive at Anfield.
Chief among them was Mason Mount, who eventually signed a $77 million (£60m/€70m) move to Manchester United. The player is clearly more interested in a move to Old Trafford, but it looks like Liverpool will balk at that price, with the deal ending a long way from the FFP deal predicted when the player’s contract comes to an end.
But as well as Mount, others have been mentioned. Conor Gallagher’s statistical profile matches Jude Bellingham’s statistical profile surprisingly well, so that possibility has been floated. Then, of course, there’s Levi Colwill.
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That last option still exists, even though the June 30 deadline has passed. But with Chelsea already looking to ease the pressure by making changes to the likes of Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovačić, this looks, in theory, a tough deal to get.
However, Pochettino still has problems. FFP may have stalled for the time being, but the Chelsea squad is still packed. From the point of view of people management as well as anything else, the London club is far from coming out of the woods.
Recently, Pochettino almost admitted when discussing Colwill’s future (via Guardian):
“I need to feel him. I need to hear what he has in mind. What he expected. And then, of course, let him listen to what I expect from him.”
There are different ways to understand this, but it seems Pochettino wants to make sure Colwill doesn’t ask for game time right away. If the 20-year-old feels as though the path to Chelsea is blocked, perhaps the Argentinian will accept a transfer, with his contract expiring in 2025 just early enough in his mind.
But why is Pochettino so reluctant to use Colwill? The answer is clear: there are too many defenders in front of him. These are the players to whom Chelsea have pledged huge sums of money, and who cannot be wiped out.
Most notably, Wesley Fofana struck a deal worth up to $97m (£75m/€88m) last summer. But there is also a January contract for Benoît Badiashile, who signed for $45m (£35m/€41m). That $142 million pair are both 22 and are contracted through 2029 and 2030, respectively.
It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to throw Marc Cucurella into the equation. Splitting his time between full-back and centre-back, the 24-year-old is nonetheless another major signing to look for somewhere, having been bought for over $78 million. dollars ($60 million/70 million euros). For followers, that’s now $220 million in contracted talent for Colwill to try and replace.
Then there was veteran Thiago Silva present. At 38, he may not seem like a barrier in terms of minutes for Colwill, but he has been Chelsea’s most consistent player for most of his time at Stamford Bridge, earning the credit successor coaches. Trevor Chalobah is also present.
Of course, not Colwill can also squeeze into Liverpool’s backline. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté are the top pick, with Joël Matip and Joe Gomez as very capable substitutes.
But unlike Pochettino, there is a feeling that Jürgen Klopp can give Colwill a real path. While Van Dijk is better than Fofana or Badiashile, he is coming to the end of his peak form. Liverpool are clearly building a succession plan.
With Matip also turning 32, Colwill can envision a not-so-distant future when he and Gomez compete head-to-head with partner Konaté. He will return to himself to win that race.
Perhaps that is why Liverpool feel ‘confident’ can entice Colwill to leave Cheslea, according to 90MIN. Convincing his club to sell will no doubt be, but the player himself is a powerful thing.
Navigating this sensitive situation will be Pochettino’s first big test. Liverpool wouldn’t dare hope, but it will be interesting to see how things play out.
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