Chelsea stance on Josh Acheampong future revealed as contract stand-off explained

Chelsea are looking to find a solution in regards to Josh Acheampong's contract situation at the club, football.london understands.

The highly-rated Blues teenage defender has 18 months remaining on his deal with the west London club and is now not expected to play for the first team or the development squad while the contract situation is still in dispute. Chelsea believed they had all but agreed an extension with Acheampong but the teenager has since gone back on the long-term contract, sources have disclosed to football.london.

Despite what has happened, the Blues still want to keep the 18-year-old at the club for the foreseeable future. After losing numerous academy graduates under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea are keen to ensure a repeat does not happen this time around.

Acheampong made his senior debut for the Blues on May 2 of this year, coming on as a late substitute against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. The London-born defender was then included in Chelsea's squad for their pre-season tour of the United States in the summer, where he and his academy teammate Tyrique George got some minutes under Enzo Maresca across the Atlantic.

The defender was brought on in the 5-0 Carabao Cup victory against League Two side Barrow last month in what was just his second senior appearance to date. In a recent interview with the club, Acheampong explained how his experience of first team football has been so beneficial to him thus far.

"The pre-season tour was so valuable," he said. "I got to play at the top level against tough competition, but it was also an opportunity to get to know the senior squad on a more personal level.

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"Making new connections within any team is important, if not everything. Those players are where I hope to be. Gaining advice and listening to their experiences helps me and it always pushes me to get to where they are.

"Playing against Barrow was another great experience. It gave me more confidence and more minutes under my belt, which will help me continue to progress and develop.

"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. It's different, but when I transition back to the Academy, I feel I have more to give. I’m physically and mentally ready to play any game now and I can thank my experiences for that."