Enzo Maresca has called for an end to Josh Acheampong’s contract stand-off, insisting the highly-rated youngster needs to be playing regular football - and that Chelsea are desperate to keep him.
Acheampong has not played for the Blues at either senior or U21 level in a month amid reports he has been told that he will not do so until he signs a new long-term deal.
The 18-year-old, who did turn out twice for England’s Under-20 side during the recent international break, has a contract that is due to expire in the summer of 2026 and has been in negotiations over an extension.
Maresca has named four academy graduates in his squad for Thursday’s night’s Conference League meeting with Panathinaikos, having left a number of first-team regulars in London.
Acheampong, however, is not among them and the Chelsea boss admitted his frustration at being unable to use a player who he brought off the bench in the Carabao Cup win over Barrow last month.
“To be honest, I feel a bit of a shame for Josh because this kind of game could be an opportunity for him,” said Maresca, who revealed he had a “positive chat” with Acheampong about his situation three weeks ago, but has not spoken to him since.
“It’s a shame because I really think that Josh, potentially, can be a top player. He’s still 18, very young, so many things can change for him but in terms of potential in future, he can be very important for Chelsea.”
Acheampong was handed his debut by Mauricio Pochettino while still a 17-year-old in May’s 2-0 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
He then travelled with Maresca’s first-team squad for the pre-season tour of the US and was on the bench for the second leg of the Conference League qualifier against Servette. However, he has not been part of the match day squad since the aforementioned Carabao Cup win over Barrow.
“The only thing is it’s so important for club that our intention is not to lose him, so the first thing we need to do is find a solution about his contract and his future,” Maresca continued.
“The most important thing at this stage is they get minutes, they enjoy it and they play football.
“It’s a bad situation at this moment for him. I don’t know the people who try to solve the problem are helping him or not, but the only thing I can say is that I really like Josh and I would like to have him here with us but it’s not possible.”
