Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, with the Blues keen on tying him down to a contract extension instead.

The Reds may have added the superb Jeremy Jacquet to their back-line in the summer transfer window, but they are still short of options in that area.

Ronald Araujo is only on loan from Barcelona currently, while Virgil van Dijk is now 35 and Joe Gomez could easily leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

According to TEAMtalk‘s Graeme Bailey, there is “interest” in Colwill from the Reds, with the England international linked with him before he moved to Chelsea. Themselves and Tottenham even “made approaches” for him, “only to encounter a similar stance” from the Blues.

That said, “an extension for their homegrown defensive star” is “expected to become a priority” for the west Londoners, who no doubt see the 23-year-old as a key player moving forward.

Levi Colwill could be an ideal signing for Liverpool

There is a reason why so many top clubs wanted Colwill from a young age, Liverpool included, and Xabi Alonso paid him huge praise earlier in the year, saying;

“I would say having a proper pre-season has helped him in taking the right steps in the right moment. We don’t want to rush him too quickly because of what he had last year. Now, after pre-season, we are expecting him to play in a good way with the confidence and the fitness to have him at his best level. For me, he is one of the best centre backs in the world.”

It will be hard for Liverpool to prise Colwill away from Chelsea, but they should push for him, considering he would be a good eventual replacement, albeit likely never reaching his level.

He is good on the ball, and his left foot brings balance, and he is also an ever-improving defender, with his peak years still likely to be a long way away.

For now, it is a transfer that feels unlikely, but if Colwill’s head is turned by a move to Liverpool, he stands out as an exciting long-term centre-back option.