Chelsea does not plan to let Acheampong leave, despite his current secondary role. At 19, the player drew interest in the summer and winter transfer windows, but the club considers him “untouchable,” according to the Daily Express. The England under-21 international has barely started since the beginning of the year, but the club prefers to wait before selling him despite its defensive problems.

The current situation contrasts with the praise Acheampong received from his former coach, Enzo Maresca. After standing out against Legia Warsaw in April 2025, the Italian coach praised his tactical flexibility.

“I loved Josh Acheampong tonight,” Maresca said. “He has the potential to be a fantastic, top-level player, both for this club and for football in general. A good player shows you he can play in different positions and do it well.”

“A good player shows he can perform in several positions and do it well. At fullback: well, in midfield: well; at center back: well. It’s not about saying: ‘Yes, I play in that position and only that position.’ If you are a good player, you can play in different positions.”

Bayern and Crystal Palace have had their offers for Acheampong rejected. Palace saw him as a successor to Marc Guehi, while Bayern looked to bolster its defense with his versatility.

However, Chelsea’s board trusts his talent, recalling his performances against elite forwards, including his dominance over Liverpool and his key goal against Nottingham Forest. For those in charge at Stamford Bridge, those flashes justify his limited playing time recently under Liam Rosenior.

The path to the first team is complicated. Chelsea prioritizes signing an experienced center-back this summer after losing Jeremy Jaquet, who joined Liverpool. With Reece James and Malo Gusto occupying the right-back spot, Acheampong’s versatility may be his only way back into the starting lineup.

Chelsea is sixth in the Premier League and visits Manchester City on Sunday. Acheampong is expected to be called up, but he has played only six league games since January.

It is important to remember that with Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Sporting in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, the Premier League automatically earned one more spot for the most important club competition in its next edition (2026/27), so Chelsea’s hopes have increased significantly, but they will have to overcome their closest competitor, Liverpool.

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