Liverpool made enquiries for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill on “two separate occasions” this summer, according to Football.London.

The Reds are said to be big fans of the 20-year-old, but they ultimately decided against making a formal bid for the player.

It is believed that an official approach would only have been contemplated if they received encouragement from Colwill or Chelsea that the England Under 21 international was available, but they never got any indication that a transfer was possible.

Colwill had previously made comments suggesting that he was weighing up his future at Stamford Bridge, but it seems as if conversations with manager Mauricio Pochettino have led to him staying in London.

Pochettino said last week that Colwill could become “one of the greatest centre-backs in England”, demonstrating how highly he rates the centre-back.

It looks as if the charm offensive worked as multiple reports are now claiming that Colwill will sign a six-year contract extension at Chelsea.

Where does this leave Liverpool?

After ending the pursuit of their number one target to strengthen the defence, the Reds’ recruitment team are likely to have a number of backup options lined up.

A left-footed defender is thought to be the preference, as manager Jurgen Klopp already has five right-footed centre-halves in his first-team squad, if we also include Nat Phillips.

Which players could the club target?

There was a very questionable report from Spain at the weekend linking Liverpool with a bid for RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol. Although Klopp would love a defender of the Croatian’s calibre, he is too expensive at £86m.

Cheaper alternatives that could be considered include Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Torino’s Perr Schuurs. Out of those four, though, only one (Inacio) is left-footed. More names are likely to be mentioned as the transfer deadline draws closer.