Chelsea’s highly-rated teenage defender Josh Acheampong, will not feature for the club’s first team or development squad until he signs a new contract, according to The Athletic.
Acheampong’s current deal runs until 2026, and while the club has opened talks to extend his contract and secure his long-term future, no agreement has been reached yet.
This summer, Chelsea viewed Josh Acheampong as third in line among their right-backs, behind captain Reece James and Malo Gusto.
This assessment contributed to their lack of disappointment in missing out on the signing of Pedro Lima from Sport Recife.
Despite both James and Gusto being sidelined by injury, Acheampong was not named on the bench for Chelsea’s matches against Bournemouth and West Ham last month.
Head coach Enzo Maresca opted for Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana, traditionally centre-backs, to fill the right-back position instead.
Acheampong made his professional debut under former manager Mauricio Pochettino against Tottenham in February and was chosen for the club’s pre-season tour of the USA, ahead of the more experienced Trevoh Chalobah.
However, the 18-year-old has only made one appearance under Maresca, playing 27 minutes as a substitute against Barrow in the Carabao Cup on September 24.
He has not been included in the matchday squad since that outing.
Significantly, Acheampong has not participated with the Under-21s either, despite starting four of their first five games this season.
His last match for them was on September 15, and he was absent from the teamsheet for their Premier League Cup match against Bournemouth last night.
This means he has gone nearly a month without representing Chelsea at any level.
Importantly, Acheampong is not injured; he recently made two appearances for England’s Under-20s during the international break.
The Athletic claims that Acheampong’s omission is linked to stalled contract talks.
The club has communicated that his situation will not change until he agrees to an extension.
It was reported last week that Acheampong, who is also capable of playing as a center-back, is being targeted by several high-profile clubs for a January transfer.
However, Chelsea remain firm in their stance, not wanting to sell.
They are optimistic that negotiations will resume soon and that a resolution can be reached.
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