Chelsea were in action yesterday, with the London giants facing Brighton in the USA for their Premier League Summer Series. Pochettino's men faced De Zerbi's tricky side and came away with an impressive performance and result, triumphing 4-3 over the Seagulls.
Summer signing Nicolas Jackson put in a Man of the Match performance, scoring his first goal for the Blues while assisting the other three goals to stake his claim on a starting position. However, he wasn't the only player at the center of attention.
Levi Colwill also made the headlines after being handed a rare start. What made things more interesting was the fact that he is at the center of a transfer battle, with none other than Brighton aiming to sign the Englishman this season.
The 20-year-old spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at the Amex and thrived under De Zerbi's system. The center-back then guided England to the UEFA Euro U21 trophy and is desperately wanted by the Seagulls.
Furthermore, Liverpool have been linked with interest in the Chelsea talent, albeit loosely, but the London heavyweights have so far resisted all attempts to buy the defender.
And speaking after the 4-3 win over Brighton, Pochettino all but ended the exit rumors as he confirmed to the media that Colwill will remain at Stamford Bridge after being questioned about Levi's future.
"We don't need to make a statement about nothing. He's our player and he's going to continue with us," the Argentine said after the game, as per the Daily Mail.
"I am happy with him, his performance was good today, better than what I expected because it's only the first game with us after the season in Brighton.
"But I think he can be one of the greatest center-backs in England.
"He is going to be part of our team."
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops as there is a lot of time left in the summer transfer window. Wesley Fofana recently underwent surgery for an ACL rupture, which rules him out for months, leaving Chelsea short on center-backs. However, the Blues want one of Brighton's players and that could weigh in on negotiations.
Moises Caicedo is Pochettino's no.1 target for the midfield but Todd Boehly and Co. have failed to reach a deal with Brighton so far. A refusal to sell Colwill might make the Seagulls more reluctant to compromise, which could prove disastrous for Chelsea.
Despite adding several talented players, the Blues still lack a proper no.6 and need to seal the deal for the Ecuadorian. Failure to do that could create problems next season.
