There’s reportedly a youngster in the Chelsea ranks that the club think is a serious talent.
The Chelsea academy has been experts in recent decades when it comes to producing future stars. For example, current Blues man Reece James developed in the youth teams before his first-team breakthrough.
Hopefully, the next batch of academy players can be just as successful as their predecessors.
It’s encouraging that Enzo Maresca is believed to have a good understanding of the club’s youth set-up already. Journalist Guillem Balague reported via BBC Sport in May that Maresca impressed Chelsea’s owners with knowledge of the academy.
Chelsea massively rate Josh Acheampong
According to The Athletic, Chelsea regard their youngster Josh Acheampong as an ‘elite home-grown prospect’.
Acheampong, who’s aged just 18, is currently in the United States with the first-team squad for their pre-season tour.
It is understood that the teenage defender’s presence is one of the reasons why Trevoh Chalobah was left out of the squad for the US.
The report adds that Chelsea head coach Maresca wants the time to work closely with Acheampong on the training pitch.
Josh Acheampong is one to look out for
It will be great if Acheampong gets some minutes during this summer’s pre-season tour to catapult himself into the first-team picture.
Speaking in this press conference this week, Maresca said Acheampong is doing “fantastic” in pre-season, as quoted by Nizaar Kinsella on X.
He’s played just one senior match so far for the Blues, which was a substitute appearance in the Premier League against Tottenham last season. Let’s hope that there’s plenty more to come for the homegrown talent.
Acheampong is a right-sided defender, who can play as a right-back or a centre-back. He’ll certainly have his work cut out breaking into the Blues team, but he’s obviously highly rated by many.
Related Topics
