Fabrizio Romano: Chelsea close to signing deal with 18-year-old talent Maresca loves

Chelsea are closing in on a new deal for 18-year-old talent Josh Acheampong as everyone at the London club is keen to keep the youngster at Stamford Bridge long-term.

The right-back signed his first professional contract with the Blues in January of this year, which expires in 2026.

To avoid any complications in the near future, as Real Madrid have shown an interest in Acheampong, Chelsea have decided to offer the full-back a new deal and according to Fabrizio Romano, an agreement between the pair is almost done.

The transfer journalist has stated that the final details of the deal still need to be sorted, however, they are not expected to be an issue.

Speaking about Acheampong during a press conference on Wednesday ahead of Chelsea’s match with Astana, the Blues coach Enzo Maresca has admitted that the youngster is set to start the game in Kazakhstan.

The Italian coach said via Fabrizio Romano: “The club loves Josh. I love Josh. We are almost there for his new deal. He’s set to start tomorrow.”

This is great news for fans of the West London outfit as Acheampong is a player everyone associated with the Premier League giants rates highly.

Josh Acheampong set for new Chelsea contract

Having signed a contract at the start of the year, Acheampong would go on to make his debut for Chelsea in May, coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute of a 2–0 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. 

Ahead of the Astana clash, the 18-year-old has only made one appearance for the Blues this season, which came in the EFL Cup against Barrow.

Minutes will be key to Acheampong’s development in a Chelsea shirt and once the new contract is signed, the defender could be sent on loan to gain more experience next season – with Newcastle being a possibility after showing interest recently.

The right-back is a very promising talent and given the injury issues of Reece James, the 18-year-old will be targeting the position long-term at Stamford Bridge.

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