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News
- 44 minutes ago
Liam Rosenior risks ruining Chelsea's plan for Enzo Maresca favourite
Cameron Smith
- 9 Apr 2026 18:02 BST
- 6 min read
Analysis
Liam Rosenior is already under huge pressure at Chelsea and it’s therefore perhaps little surprise that he used the club’s FA Cup clash against Port Vale as an opportunity to get his misfiring stars back on track.
After four consecutive defeats before the March international break, Rosenior picked an immensely strong starting XI on Saturday afternoon and he was rewarded with a 7-0 win as Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals in style.
A clash versus Leeds United at Wembley awaits, and the Blues will be confident of reaching the showpiece final for the 17th time in their history, despite their concerning record against Daniel Farke’s side this season.
Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto were among the starters at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, while Rosenior appeased the Blues faithful by handing a first-team debut to academy starlet Ryan Kavuma-McQueen in the second-half.
However, it was Rosenior’s limited use of fellow academy product Josh Acheampong that caused a major stir amongst Chelsea fans online.
Current ETV
Josh Acheampong
D (CR)
Chelsea
Josh Acheampong
D (CR)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€24.7M - €30.2M
The 19-year-old is regarded as one of England’s biggest defensive prospects and Chelsea are aware they possess a generational talent in their ranks. But, questions over his long-term future persist.
In fact, despite his age, Acheampong has been amongst the transfer headlines on a number of occasions already.
He was notably frozen out by the Chelsea hierarchy in late 2024, following his refusal to sign a new contract, and he was only permitted to return to action after eventually agreeing fresh terms with his boyhood club. At the time, almost every elite European club was touted to pursue a deal and he continues to be linked with a Stamford Bridge exit on a regular basis.
Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are among the clubs to have monitored Acheampong in recent months, while Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace both wanted to sign him last summer. In addition, his lack of game time at Chelsea has caused speculation over his future to rise significantly since the appointment of Rosenior.
The Chelsea hierarchy, however, have no intention of sanctioning a permanent sale this summer, as per football.london. It’s claimed there are no plans for Acheampong to be sold, despite the fact he has only started two matches since the arrival of Rosenior.
Despite this stance, Acheampong will almost certainly be willing to explore his options this summer if his current level of game time fails to improve.
Chelsea face Josh Acheampong transfer headache
The England U21 star has only played 1,204 minutes so far this season and a small cameo against Port Vale suggests he is unlikely to be trusted with meaningful first-team action as Chelsea look to end the Premier League season strongly. However, he needs to play regularly to iron out the errors in his game.
His skillset is one of the best in England and his potential suggests he should become a senior international in the near future, but Acheampong doesn’t really have much football under his belt - even at academy level.
He played just 27 games for Chelsea’s U18 side before progressing to the U21s, where he only played a total of 10 times before his first-team status was confirmed.
He has more appearances for the Chelsea first-team (39) than at U18 and U21 level combined, and that is despite the fact his senior involvement has been fairly restricted thus far.
Chelsea are expected to sign a new central defender this summer - one with proven experience - and this is set to further block Acheampong’s ability to receive regular first-team action. A loan move therefore seems a suitable solution for all parties, although the 19-year-old could feasibly be unwilling to accept a temporary exit.
His involvement under Rosenior has dipped significantly, with the new Blues head coach eager to trust more experienced options as he looks to navigate a tricky fixture schedule with little time on the training pitch.
However, his reluctance to use Acheampong could be costly, despite Chelsea’s insistence that a sale won’t be permitted.
STATS
Josh Acheampong
D (CR)
Chelsea
Josh Acheampong
D (CR)
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca was effervescent in his praise for Achampong last year, admitting after a win over Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League: “The one that I fell in love with tonight was Josh Acheampong. Because, for me, potentially, he can be a fantastic player, a top player, for this club, for football in general.”
Rosenior has also stated that Acheampong has a bright future at Chelsea, but his actions haven’t matched his words and the fact he only handed the Englishman five minutes of action against the club rock bottom League One is a real concern.
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