Chelsea star wants game time assurances from Mauricio Pochettino before signing new deal with the club - Reports

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill will not commit his future to the Blues without receiving guarantees over his playing time, according to The Evening Standard.

Colwill, 20, impressed on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion last season. The center-back made 22 appearances across competitions for the Seagulls, helping keep them seven clean sheets. He was also important to Roberto De Zerbi's side finishing sixth in the Premier League and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.

The England U21 international's performances for Brighton saw him attract transfer interest from other teams. It emerged in April that Liverpool and Manchester City are among the clubs prepared to fight it out for the highly-rated defender.

Colwill, meanwhile, continues to be highly regarded at Chelsea, although he is yet to make his senior debut for them. According to the aforementioned source, the Blues have offered the youngster a new long-term deal as they look to retain his services.

It's worth noting that the London giants are well-stocked in the center-back department, with Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva still at the club. Colwill thus has concerns about committing his long-term future to the Premier League club.

Hence, Colwill will seek assurances about his playing time from new Chelsea manager Pochettino before making a decision over his future, as per the report. The Argentinian tactician could hold talks with the defender after he begins his work at Cobham on July 3.

Colwill has a chance to earn a place in England's squad for the 2024 UEFA European Championship and is thus keen to ensure he plays regularly next term. It's worth noting that Brighton are interested in acquiring him on a permanent deal. The Seagulls have already had a club-record £40 million bid rejected for the defender by Chelsea.

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Chelsea to step up Moises Caicedo pursuit

Chelsea have been busy trying to offload players in a bid to balance their books after spending over £600 million across the last two windows. They have already sold Kai Havertz to Arsenal for a deal worth £65 million, while Mateo Kovacic has joined Manchester City for £30 million.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy, meanwhile, have moved to Saudi Arabia for a combined sum of around £36 million. With Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek edging closer to joining Manchester United and AC Milan respectively, the Blues are in line to raise over £200 million from sales.

The London giants are now expected to turn their attention towards strengthening their squad. They already have a £30 million deal in place to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal. Mauricio Pochettino's side are now keen to add Moises Caicedo to their ranks.

Chelsea have already had a £60 million rejected by Brighton for Caicedo. However, there is a feeling that the Seagulls could sell the Ecuador international for a £80 million package. Meanwhile, any idea to include Levi Colwill in a player-plus-cash swap deal is not expected to be encouraged.