Report: Real Madrid and Barcelona on alert as Chelsea star Levi Colwill could leave this summer | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Barcelona are on red alert as Levi Colwill could leave Chelsea this summer, with Spanish outlet Marca reporting that the Blues’ failure to secure Champions League football for 2026-27 could force them into selling key assets.

Chelsea endured a torrid 2025-26 campaign by their own lofty ambitions, finishing 8th in the Premier League and crashing out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, suffering two humiliating 3-0 defeats to PSG.

Chelsea could lose key players this summer including Levi Colwill

With no European football of any kind to offer next season, there could be several significant departures in the upcoming transfer window and Colwill is reportedly among the players who could be tempted away.

As per Marca, Chelsea’s absence from the Champions League next season is a serious threat to their ability to hold onto top-tier talent.

In their report, Marca described Colwill as a modern centre-back, a player with imposing physical presence but the technical quality and ball-carrying ability that elite clubs across Europe crave.

Crucially, the report draws a comparison with Real Madrid’s long-standing interest in Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté and Barcelona’s links to Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, two defenders who fit the same profile as Colwill.

Marca notes that if Colwill were to become a market opportunity this summer, it would be entirely logical for both Spanish giants to register their interest.

Chelsea’s hierarchy view Colwill as central to their long-term project, and there is no desire at the club to sell.

However, the lure of Champions League football from two of the world’s biggest clubs could prove impossible to resist for the 23-year-old England international.

Colwill’s season has been marred with injuries

The 2025-26 campaign was one Colwill would rather forget from a personal standpoint.

The defender underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in August 2025, an injury sustained in his very first training session of pre-season after returning to Cobham, and was expected to miss the majority of the season as a result.

The loss of Colwill was viewed as a hammer blow to Chelsea’s defensive preparations, given he was considered the cornerstone of the club’s long-term defensive project.

He did eventually make his return in the closing weeks of the season, starring in back-to-back starts against Liverpool and Manchester City before doubts emerged over his fitness ahead of the Tottenham derby.