Levi Colwill to Barcelona is a January story, and Chelsea’s answer so far is a flat no. BBC Sport’s Thursday gossip column passes on a Football Insider report that the 23-year-old England defender is attracting interest from Barcelona, and that the Blues are insisting he is not for sale. This is a rumour from a tier-three outlet, relayed by the BBC, and nothing has been confirmed by either club.

We covered the first wave of this story on 10 November, when CaughtOffside reported January bid talk of £65-75m. The new line is Chelsea’s stance, and it changes how that price reads.

What Football Insider says

As the BBC summarises it, Barcelona’s interest in Colwill is real enough to be reported, but Chelsea are telling suitors the player is not available. That is the whole report. The column gives no fee, no wages and no deadline, and neither does it say Barcelona have made a bid. Treat it as interest, not talks.

What it means for Chelsea

Colwill is one of the few English centre-backs at this level Chelsea have in their squad, and he is 23. Selling him in January to a club that would want a big discount makes little sense for a side trying to build a back line around young players. If Barcelona do come, a bid at the £65-75m figure CaughtOffside mentioned would test that stance. A refusal this early can also be a negotiating position, so it is worth watching whether the tone changes closer to the window.

On another Chelsea player, see our latest on Romeo Lavia and Aston Villa, where Chelsea are reported not to be selling.

Credibility check

Low to medium. One tier-three outlet (Football Insider) is the source here, and tier-one outlets have not matched the Barcelona claim in the BBC’s column. Interest is the stage: no bid, no talks and no fee have been reported by this outlet. The thing most likely to be right is that Chelsea do not want to sell. What is not confirmed is whether Barcelona intend to make an approach when the January window opens.

We will report the next development as a new post if a tier-one outlet adds a bid or a contract update.