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As Chelsea finalise their pre-season plans, manager Enzo Maresca has decided to keep 19-year-old defender Josh Acheampong at the club, ruling out any loan or permanent exit.
4 minutes
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As Chelsea’s pre-season squad planning begins to take shape, head coach Enzo Maresca is setting out his strategy, particularly when it comes to the future of young players. For Josh Acheampong, the promising academy-grown defender, the decision is clear: neither a loan move nor a permanent transfer is on the table.
Still only 19, Acheampong featured in 19 official matches for Chelsea during the 2024–25 season, providing one assist. His involvement in the Europa Conference League and a full match against Espérance de Tunis in the FIFA Club World Cup earned him close attention from the coaching staff.
At the start of last season, contract renewal talks had stalled, casting doubt over the youngster’s future at the club. During that time, several European clubs began to express interest. According to OneFootball, both Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United have been closely monitoring Acheampong’s development. However, with a new contract signed in December 2024, both the player’s situation and Chelsea’s position became clear — Chelsea made it clear they would not consider any external approaches.
According to The Guardian, Chelsea plan to integrate Josh Acheampong into their first-team rotation starting from the 2025–26 season. The club views the young defender as part of their long-term plans and have ruled out both a transfer and a loan for now.
Manager Enzo Maresca expressed his confidence in the youngster with the following words:
“I believe Josh should stay with us. He has great potential, room for development, and can become an important defender for this club. My plan is clear — I want to keep him here.”
The young defender’s natural position is right-back, but he is also capable of playing as a right-sided centre-back in a back three. He has developed the agility, pace, and defensive awareness required in the modern game at an early age. His strength in one-on-one situations, timing in duels, and positional discipline make him stand out. He’s reliable in wide defensive areas, covers space well, and tends to make safe but smart decisions when playing the ball out from the back.
He is comfortable on the ball. He rarely misplaces a short pass and he stays composed even when pressed. Although his use of long passes is still limited, his vision is improving over time. His attacking contribution remains a work in progress: overlapping runs and crossing quality still need development. At present, his game is defined more by defensive reliability and positional discipline.
Physically, he has adapted quickly to the tempo of the Premier League. He’s strong and robust, unafraid of physical duels. He’s decent in the air, though there’s still room to grow.
Acheampong’s professional attitude has earned him widespread praise at Chelsea. His relationship with teammates and discipline in training have helped him gain swift acceptance in the first-team environment. Despite his age, he shows leadership and maturity on the pitch, making him a valuable project player in the eyes of the coaching staff.
In fact, after last season’s match against Crystal Palace, manager Enzo Maresca singled out the youngster for special praise, saying:
“I would definitely pick Josh as our best player. Even as a young player, he showed he was ready on the pitch and knew exactly where to be.”
This statement confirmed that he stands out not only for his physical traits but also for his game intelligence and professional approach.
As Chelsea aim to give younger players more active roles in their tactical setup, Josh Acheampong is emerging as one of the standout names in this transformation. If he continues to develop consistently, he could become not just a squad player, but a cornerstone of Chelsea’s future back line.
As one of the clubs with the youngest squads in the Premier League, Chelsea places particular value on academy graduates. Josh Acheampong represents this vision. While still at the beginning of his journey, the upward trajectory in his development suggests that he could become one of the cornerstones of Chelsea’s defence in the future.
