Josh Acheampong: Chelsea's 'fantastic' contract rebel who has Real Madrid, Liverpool & Bayern Munich on red alert after emerging from Blues' famed academy

Born in London in May 2006 to Ghanaian parents, Acheampong has always been Chelsea. He joined the Blues' development centre programme at Cobham at Under-8 level and has been with the club ever since.

Emerging as a versatile defender capable of operating at centre-back, right-back and wing-back, Acheampong impressed throughout the age grades at Chelsea and his England youth career has followed a similar trajectory.

By the age of 16 the youngster was already a regular in the U18s, catching the eye with a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner against Tottenham in the U18 Premier League in the 2022-23 season. It seemed like just a matter of time before he would make his breakthrough.

In 2023-24 - still just 17 - Acheampong became part of Chelsea's U21 set-up as he continued to star for the U18s, who would go on to win the southern Premier League title for their age group.

At the beginning of 2024 he was rewarded with his first professional contract - a two-year deal tying him to the club until 2026 - and in March he was included in the first-team squad against Newcastle, although he was left on the bench.

Acheampong's senior and Premier League debut soon followed, though; three days shy of his 18th birthday, the teen was introduced as a late substitute by former head coach Mauricio Pochettino in the 2-0 victory over Tottenham, coming on to a standing ovation at Stamford Bridge.

Even in just 12 minutes on the pitch he demonstrated his defensive prowess, cutting out a dangerous cross, blocking two powerful shots and winning a crucial ground duel as the Blues saw out the victory.

While Acheampong went on the pre-season tour to the USA and had been considered third in Chelsea's right-back pecking order behind Malo Gusto and injury-plagued captain James, he hasn't kicked on under Enzo Maresca in 2024-25, making just one first-team appearance before December.

That is a result of a contract standoff; despite Acheampong only signing that first senior deal in January, the Blues had opened talks to secure his long-term future and avoid losing one of their next generation of academy stars for nothing, amid reported summer transfer interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain

However, those talks reached an impasse, prompting the club to take action to force the player to put pen to paper. Acheampong was frozen out not only at senior level, but also in the U21s, where he would have expected to be a guaranteed starter.

Speaking in October, Maresca said: "It’s a shame. It’s so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future. The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us but it is not possible.”

Six weeks on, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel; Acheampong was pictured in first-team training in November and he finally returned to the fold for the U21s at the end of the month. Then, in mid-December he started and impressed alongside of a number of other academy players included in a heavily-rotated side that beat Astana in the Conference League after a 3,500-mile trip to Kazakhstan.

"Josh has a fantastic attitude towards developing further and is strong mentally," Chelsea's official profile of Acheampong reads. That is certainly reflected in his progress through the age grades for both club and country.

Predominantly a right-back, the youngster's versatility is also a great strength as he is capable of covering at centre-back or pushing up the pitch into a wing-back role. Once his contract standoff comes to an end, he could actually become a very useful asset for the Blues amid James and Wesley Fofana's injury troubles.

His debut cameo against Spurs demonstrated what Chelsea describe as "his comfort in possession of the ball and his ability in one-v-one defensive situations, stepping in to create overloads and initiate attacks", while his rangy 6'1 frame means he covers ground quickly and is physically imposing.

Maresca believes he has what it takes to make the cut: "I think Josh potentially can become a top player," the Italian said recently. "He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be (a) very important thing for Chelsea."

With his career in his infancy, the contract situation will probably have set alarm bells ringing for those behind the scenes at Cobham.

As Maresca says, “the most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football". By initially refusing Chelsea's terms for whatever reason, Acheampong hasn't been able to do that in the first part of this season and has therefore jeopardised his own development.

On the pitch, the young defender has few obvious flaws, other than his first touch and pass accuracy occasionally letting him down - the kinds of minor weaknesses that will be ironed out of youth players as they continue to develop.

That said, his future needs to be resolved as soon as possible so he can actually focus on achieving his huge potential - at Chelsea or elsewhere.

If he does hang about, Chelsea may well have their very own 'Benny Blanco' on their hands. Just like Acheampong, Arsenal's Ben White is unusually tall for a right-back at 6'1, and he is versatile, too, having previously been a centre-back during his time at Brighton and Leeds.

Something of a revelation for the Gunners, in many ways White is the archetype of the modern defender - expected to to be fundamentally strong at the back, technically proficient and capable of carrying the ball or passing forwards to progress play and support attacks.

Acheampong has the potential to be that kind of full-back for Chelsea, and the hope at Cobham will be that he can reach that level in the best-case scenario.

This is the big question for Acheampong and Chelsea as the January transfer window approaches. While talks over a new contract are progressing, it has been reported that any agreement is still some way off for the time being.

Speaking ahead of the Astana game, Maresca said: "The club loves Josh, I love Josh, we are trying to find an agreement with the player, we are close, we are almost there. We'll see."

Despite his lack of first-team experience, a number of Europe's elite have been alerted to Acheampong's uncertain future, with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and Newcastle all linked with the 18-year-old in recent months.

Real's interest is long-standing and could be accelerated after Dani Carvajal's season-ending ACL injury, with a January approach a possibility; any movement from Liverpool might be contingent on Madrid signing Trent Alexander-Arnold; Bayern, meanwhile, are said to have guaranteed the player first-team minutes. What's clear is that Acheampong would have no shortage of options.

For his part, the prospect is attached to the Blues, but he clearly feels ready for senior opportunities: "Being at Chelsea since the Under-8s, I feel really connected to the club, as anyone would," he said in October. "I’m excited to see what’s next and to keep working hard. Being able to play senior football helps develop my skills to the next level, which I can bring back to Under-21s football."

Chelsea will hope Acheampong's future lies at Stamford Bridge, but it's clear they still have a hell of a fight on their hands.