Chelsea reject Brighton request to include defender as part of swap deal for Moises Caicedo: Reports

Chelsea have rejected Brighton & Hove Albion's request to include defender Levi Colwill in their bid for midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Seagulls are open to the sale of the Ecuadorian to the Blues but want the English youngster in return.

As per a report in the Daily Mirror, Chelsea are working on signing Caicedo from Brighton this summer. The Blues are pushing for the player, who is also an Arsenal target, but have rejected the Seagulls' request to include Colwill in a potential move that would have given them an advantage.

Colwill was in top form last season on loan at Brighton and Roberto De Zerbi has been full of praise for the defender. He has admitted that he would love to work with the Englishman for longer and told Sky Sports:

"I hope Levi can play with us next year, but it's the decision of Chełsea. We have to be ready to change some players, but he's a top player for us. I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years, because it’s difficult to find another left centre-back with his quality. He’s a good guy. I think he’s improving a lot this year. His improvement has been fantastic. I hope he can stay with us.”

Brighton made a £30 million bid for Colwill earlier this month, which was swiftly rejected by Chelsea.

Chelsea defender thanks Brighton & Hove Albion for showing trust

Levi Colwill was at Brighton for the 2022/23 season and played a vital part in helping them qualify for Europe for the first time ever. He was in conversation with The Atheltic last month when he thanked the club for showing trust in him.

He said:

“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 Chełsea). 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 with England) in the summer. After that, we’ll see what happens and go from there.”

Chelsea see Colwill as a part of the club's future and he is also in Mauricio Pochettino's plans, as per Sky Sports. He also attracted interest from Liverpool, as per The Athletic, but the Reds have accepted that they will not be able to strike a deal.