Brighton & Hove Albion 'preparing club-record bid for Chelsea's Levi Colwill'

Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly lining up an improved £40m bid for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

The 20-year-old impressed during a season-long loan spell with the Seagulls during the 2022-23 campaign, featuring 20 times in all competitions including 13 Premier League starts.

Colwill was part of the Brighton squad that secured a top-six finish in the Premier League and qualified for Europe for the first time in the club's history.

The left-footed centre-back – who is currently training with Gareth Southgate's England squad – is due to return to Chelsea this summer and link up with newly-appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, Brighton are keen to recruit Colwill on a permanent basis and have allegedly seen a £30m bid turned down by the West Londoners.

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Chelsea are understood to have no plans to sell Colwill and intend to rebuff any new proposals for the highly-rated defender, who is part of their long-term project under Pochettino.

Nevertheless, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Brighton will return with an improved offer worth £40m, which would represent a club-record bid from the Seagulls.

Brighton are believed to have already broken their transfer record this summer after agreeing to sign Watford forward Joao Pedro for a fee in the region of £30m, with the 21-year-old Brazilian to link up with his new teammates on July 1.

Roberto De Zerbi will have funds available to spend on improving his first-team squad ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, following the sale of midfielder Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool, while Moises Caicedo could also be on the move amid interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

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Colwill joined Chelsea at Under-9s level but he is yet to make a senior appearance for the club, where he is under contract until the summer of 2025.

The likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have all been credited with an interest in Colwill, but it appears that Brighton are the club pushing to recruit the defender on a permanent basis.

Colwill admitted last month that he is open to the prospect of remaining at the Amex Stadium next season to "repay" the trust shown by De Zerbi.

The Italian boss, meanwhile, has expressed his desire to keep hold of the defender, who is expected to represent England Under-21s at the European Championships that begins later this month.