Lewis Hall recently reminded Chelsea fans what it could have been. He came through the Cobham youth system only to leave for Newcastle United early in his career. On an individual level, that was the right decision. He has developed into one of the best rising talents in world football. The Blues could have certainly done with a player of his quality right now.
Unfortunately, Chelsea’s handling of their own academy graduates has drawn some criticism lately. And they could be repeating their past mistakes with another highly-rated talent.
Josh Acheampong is widely regarded as a youngster who has the potential to develop into a world-class player in the future. Unfortunately, his playing time at Chelsea does not reflect that.
He was not involved as much as he would have liked under Enzo Maresca. And things have not changed enough under Liam Rosenior, as other defenders remain ahead of him in the pecking order despite struggling to impress with their performances. That might convince Acheampong that he needs a change of scenery.
Real Madrid are said to be one of the clubs interested in Chelsea defender
If Acheampong does end up leaving Chelsea at some point, there would not be a lack of interest in his signature. In fact, it looks like some of Europe’s top teams could be lining up to sign him.
According to CaughtOffside, multiple clubs, including Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, and Newcastle United, are monitoring Acheampong’s progress closely. Los Blancos view him as a possible long-term addition capable of strengthening their defensive depth.
Letting Acheampong leave would be a mistake
Acheampong is one of the best talents that Chelsea have. When given a chance, he has mostly done well. Of course, there have been games here and there when he has looked shaky. But overall, he has been better than a lot of players who have gotten game time a lot more consistently than him.
Acheampong’s exit would be a dent in Chelsea’s long-term plans, that is for sure. But if they want to keep him, the club must start giving the youngster the chances that he needs to reach his full potential.
Let’s hope that the situation is sorted as soon as possible. The best-case scenario would be Acheampong proving himself to be good enough to start. And with how badly Chelsea have been playing lately, this might be the best time for Rosenior to experiment with his lineup.
