Levi Colwill addresses transfer speculation as he prepares to return to Chelsea after Brighton loan spell

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has addressed speculations over his future as his Brighton & Hove Albion loan spell nears its end. The 20-year-old joined the Seagulls on a year-long loan last summer and has been quite impressive.

When recently quizzed by The Athletic on where his future lies, the centre-back thanked Brighton for putting their trust in him but stopped short of making a concrete statement.

"Brighton have done a lot for me. They put their trust in me when others didn’t and I’m a person that loves to repay that. We’ll see.

"I don’t know what is going to happen [at Chelsea]. I’m still here until the end of the season. I just focus on that, then I’ve got the Euros [the Under-21 European Championship] in the summer. After that, we’ll see what happens and go from there," he said.

He further said on his time at Brighton:

"[The Brighton loan] has been amazing - every part, on the pitch, off the pitch. I’ve learnt so many things. I’ve grown, not just only as a player, but as a man too, and I think it’s due to the manager and the players. I’ve just loved every minute of it.

"I’m not someone to predict the future. I take it day by day, but it’s been an amazing journey."

The 20-year-old added:

"Who knows, we’ll see what happens in the summer. I love the Brighton fans, I love everything about them [the club]. I’ll take that into consideration."

Colwill has made 12 Premier League starts for the Seagulls this season, most of which have come in the latter half of the term. In all, he has made 26 appearances for them across competitions, assisting three goals as well.

"I hope he can play with us also next year" - Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi on Levi Colwill's future

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi recently opened up on Colwill's future, saying he hoped that the youngster will play for them next year as well.

When asked about the defender following the club's recent Premier League win over Southampton, the Italian said:

"I hope he can play with us also next year but it’s his decision and decision of Chelsea. I don’t know. We have to be ready to change some players but of course Levi is a top player for us."

Brighton have had a solid season under De Zerbi, qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history. The club are set to finish sixth in the league table.