Josh Acheampong: Chelsea have avoided a €100m transfer mistake

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 26 Jan 2026 10:00 CST
• 5 min read

Analysis

Chelsea wonderkid Josh Acheampong has been heavily linked with an exit over the past week, however the club reportedly have no intention of allowing the England U21 international to depart on a permanent deal.

The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in European football and it’s little surprise that his development is being closely watched by a plethora of top clubs across the continent.

Current ETV

Josh Acheampong

D (CR)

Chelsea

Josh Acheampong

D (CR)

Chelsea

€21.6M

ETV Range

€19.5M - €23.8M

View full profile

Capable of playing at right-back or centre-back to equally great effect, Acheampong has an extremely bright future ahead of him and, if he obtains the necessary first-team game time over the next few years, it would be no surprise to see him starting for England at the 2030 World Cup.

He is a truly elite talent and he has thoroughly impressed whenever he has been trusted with senior minutes. But, he isn’t a Chelsea regular yet and the Blues’ obsessive need for shiny new toys suggests his development could be compromised.

After all, Acheampong was perilously close to leaving Chelsea in 2024. The England youth starlet was yet to accept a contract extension proposal and he was frozen out by Blues officials. He was made unavailable for selection at any level and an exit looked set to occur before he eventually opted to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

Despite this, Acheampong continues to be linked with a departure and rumours have speculated that Crystal Palace are eager to agree a January deal following Marc Guehi’s permanent move to Manchester City.

Bayern Munich are also extremely interested in the teenager, while Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have all been touted as possible destinations over the past 12 months too.

However, BBC Sport and David Ornstein have confirmed that Chelsea will not sanction a permanent sale as they view Acheampong as a key part of their long-term project.

In the process, assuming such reports are correct, the Blues hierarchy have saved themselves from utter humiliation.

Josh Acheampong: Chelsea save themselves from €100m mistake

Acheampong is destined for an elite career at the top level. Sure, he’s only 19 years old, but he has the potential to become one of the very best defenders in world football.

He boasts immense athleticism and agility for someone so tall, his ability to eat up ground when galloping forward with possession is a sight to beyond and his defensive nous in one-vs-one situations is already excellent. He’s far from the finished article, of course, however Chelsea have a world beater on their hands.

As a result, resisting the temptation of selling him for ‘pure profit’ is one the club have to make.

Chelsea have been burned too many times by poor sale decisions, with Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall two recent examples to add to the catalogue of infamous departures alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah. Acheampong would certainly join that list were he to be sold.

Chelsea’s decision to recall Aaron Anselmino from a loan spell at Borussia Dortmund rather than sign Stade Rennais starlet Jeremy Jacquet bodes well for Acheampong’s Stamford Bridge future, but he still needs regular first-team exposure.

A loan spell away from west London wouldn't be the worst idea in the world, given Acheampong has racked up less than 5,000 minutes of action at U18, U19, U21 and senior level combined, but he is arguably ready to play a key role under Liam Rosenior right now.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at a fairly measly €21.6 million, but Acheampong has the potential to reach the €100m mark if Chelsea simply trust him with a meaningful first-team role over the next few years.

One thing they can’t do is sell him.

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