Chelsea’s summer recalibration has taken on a clear hierarchy, and two Cobham graduates sit conspicuously above the fray. Reports indicate that Levi Colwill and Josh Acheampong are totally untouchable by the Blues, a stark rebuke of the club’s historical tendency to throw away homegrown jewels too soon.
Acheampong was previously named in a small group of seven players who are deemed irreplaceable, alongside Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Estevao. Colwill, however, is expected to have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders this campaign after his long recovery from anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
Yet that belief has left Xabi Alonso with an unwanted traffic jam in his defensive department. The Spaniard has said in public in Sydney that he wants just four or five central defenders, but Chelsea went into the window with many more senior options, congestion compounded by the £52 million arrival of Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. Trevoh Chalobah’s £31 million move to Como should provide some partial relief.
Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana is expected to stay in west London. The Frenchman joined from Leicester City for about €80 million in 2022, but persistent injury issues have limited his contribution since. Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino, meanwhile, seem destined for short-term moves focused on consistent senior minutes, with the Argentine having previously played for Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg. Sarr himself signed from sister club Strasbourg for £12 million on an eight-year deal last summer.
Josh Acheampong Reveals Basic Expectations From Xabi Alonso
Acheampong has offered some illuminating insight into Alonso’s methodology during Chelsea’s pre-season sojourn through Australia earlier this summer. Speaking to the club’s official website, the 20-year-old described a coach obsessed with perfecting his defence.
The defender also revealed he had watched archive footage of Alonso’s playing career, a glorious career which included Champions League and World Cup wins. That respect has grown since seeing the Spaniard’s technical repertoire up close on the training pitches, clearly. The young defender said:
‘I think the main thing he wants from us is to defend first, to be fair. Obviously, he also likes defenders that can play on the ball, so it’s just about asking and learning, to be honest. I was watching YouTube clips of him when I was younger – and still now just to learn.
‘I feel like because he can demonstrate it – like, for example, his passing, he’ll just do it and then it’s like: “Wow”. So you can see first-hand what it’s like to be on that level, so it’s good.’