Chelsea's £40m Jules Kounde alternative must inform Levi Colwill transfer decision

Thomas Tuchel's best signing at Chelsea so far was also one of the biggest surprises of his reign. The emergence of Trevoh Chalobah nearly 12 months ago proved to be a great alternative to Jules Kounde, who the club were pursuing in the window, whilst seeing another Cobham gem breakthrough.

It effectively saved the club upwards of £60m. According to CIES Football Observatory, Chalobah is valued between £30-40m. He then penned a new deal in early November, keeping him at the club till 2026, before proving himself to be one of the more consistent performers in a challenging season.

Thirty-one appearances, 20 coming in the Premier League, was a healthy balance for the 22-year-old. Offering him enough minutes to gain valuable experience alongside older heads. It could have been more if not for a hamstring injury offer winter and Tuchel deciding to bench him during the Spring without much reason.

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Chalobah now is in line to grow next season, likely to be one of the first players back at Cobham for the start of pre-season on Saturday. The defender is another in a growing list of academy graduates to justify the value of promoting young talent.

That example can be one of a few reasons supporters want to see 19-year-old Levi Colwill given his chance in the coming weeks by Tuchel. Back from a breakout loan with Huddersfield that proved the potential many believed he had, Colwill could be used as a fresh face in a needed defensive rebuild following key departures.

Instead, there are deep concerns that Colwill might end up departing Chelsea before this window is over with several Premier League clubs, including Leicester and Southampton,