Chelsea academy talent Josh-Kofi Acheampong has been in the news lately. Being rated very highly by his peers and seniors around him, the 18-year-old recently signed a contract extension with the London club, ending the impasse between the two camps. So who is the new youth prospect?
Born to Ghanaian parents in London in May 2006, Josh-Kofi Acheampong joined the Chelsea academy at the age of seven, and since then, he has risen up the ranks of the Chelsea youth system, going from strength to strength to become one of the most promising academy starlets at the club.
Able to play as both a right-back and a center-back, Acheampong has already made his senior debut for Chelsea. Handed his professional contract in January this year, the youngster made his first appearance for the senior team as an 85th-minute substitute under former manager Mauricio Pochettino in a 2-0 win over city rivals Tottenham Hotspur. In the youth setup, the promising Cobham prospect featured 27 times for the U-18 team side, scoring 5 goals and 3 assists as he played a significant part in the side winning the U18 Premier League Southern title. His progress and development made the Chelsea management promote him to the U21 squad where he has made 8 appearances.
Even the new manager, Enzo Maresca, rates the 18-year-old very seriously. When asked about the chances of the young defender succeeding at Chelsea, Maresca said, “I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be (a) very important thing for Chelsea.”
In fact, the manager was quite disappointed when the 6’1 towering defender was made unavailable for selection for the UEFA Conference League tie against Panathinaikos due to contract issues: “I feel a bit of shame for Josh because I think this kind of games can be an opportunity for him.”
Incidentally, since then, Acheampong has completed full matches against Astana and Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League, putting in steady displays against both sides. Showing development beyond his age, Acheampong has already attracted the interest of big European powerhouses like PSG and Real Madrid, but the Chelsea manager has been adamant that the club must not lose the youngster. The Italian even made it clear that loaning the youngster out may also be out of the picture as he wants the defender close to him.
When the contract talks had hit a roadblock, it was the manager’s influence that made Acheampong eventually commit his future to the club. With the renewal last week, Acheampong has extended his contract till 2029. The contract details reveal the 18-year-old defender will be paid £5000 per week gross.
Acheampong has likewise reciprocated the manager’s faith: “With Enzo, the small details are really important. He’s nice so I can ask him questions one-to-one and he gives me a lot of advice. He gives me a lot of confidence. If the manager is backing you, it’s up to you to show him why, and what you can do on the pitch.”
The Chelsea fans will be happy to hear Acheampong’s admission that he wants to be a club legend at Stamford Bridge.
As far as national commitments are concerned, Acheampong has so far featured for the England youth teams. Although he still has the Ghana doors open for himself, the versatile defender has chosen to play for England, even representing the Three Lions at the U-17 European Championships and the U-17 FIFA World Cup. Currently, he is playing in the England U-20 setup, and if things continue on track, he will eventually get called up to the England senior squad.
In the world of video games, Acheampong has been given 64 rating in EA FC 25, with highest potential of 83. While his acceleration, sprint speed and agility has been assigned 73, 77 and 71 respectively, he has got a 73 rating in strength, making him quite a robust unit.
Acheampong is currently training regularly with the Chelsea first team, and there have been even talks of him getting minutes in the Premier League as Chelsea is dealing with a mini injury crisis. Everyone is keeping an eye on the youngster, who has been dubbed the next best thing at the Chelsea academy.
