The current situation stands in stark contrast to the high praise Acheampong received from former boss Enzo Maresca. Following a standout performance against Legia Warsaw in April 2025, the Italian coach made no secret of his admiration for the youngster’s tactical flexibility.
"The one that I fell in love with tonight was Josh Acheampong," Maresca said at the time. "Because, for me, potentially, he can be a fantastic player, a top player, for this club, for football in general. A good player shows you that he can play in different positions and he can do well."
"A good player shows you that he can play in different positions and he can do well. He was full-back: good, midfielder: good, central defender: good. So it's not about, 'yeah, I play in that position and only in that position'. If you are a good player, you can play in different positions."