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Enzo Maresca was desperate to keep Josh Acheampong at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea have successfully convinced their wonderkid Josh Acheampong to sign a new long-term contract at the club, according to reports.
Acheampong had attracted transfer interest from Spanish champions Real Madrid as well as a number of other clubs, including Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid were very much considering a move for the English teenager, viewing him as a short-term right-back option and a future superstar.
But Acheampong, 18, has now decided to pen a new deal at Stamford Bridge until 2029, The Athletic reported on Wednesday.
It is thought that Chelsea told Acheampong that he wouldn’t play for the first team or development squad until the academy star signed a new contract.
But Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca handed Acheampong his first start for the club in the Blues’ 3-1 Conference League win over Astana last week.
Maresca said ahead of that game that an agreement between Chelsea and Acheampong was ‘close’ – and it appears that the deal is now done.
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Josh Acheampong has played three games for Chelsea to date (Picture: Getty)
The Chelsea boss is a huge fan of Acheampong and was desperate to keep him in west London.
Speaking in October, 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 very important thing for Chelsea.
‘It’s so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future.
‘The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football.
‘For him, I don’t know the people who are trying to solve the problem, if they are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us.’
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