Xabi Alonso singles out central defender for praise amid transfer speculation over the defender’s role in the first team.
Josh Acheampong will be hoping to start against Brighton on Sunday.
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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has sent a message of praise to one centre-back in particular ahead of this weekend’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Alonso currently has five natural centre-backs at his disposal. Those names include Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, Josh Acheampong and Aaron Anselmino. That figure doesn’t include players such as Jorrel Hato and Reece James, who can provide cover if necessary.
The inflated number also doesn’t include Tosin Adarabioyo, who has since lost his squad number following an underwhelming pre-season campaign. The defender has reportedly attracted interest from both the Premier League and clubs across Europe.
One defender who has been looking to impress following a year of turbulence at Stamford Bridge is Josh Acheampong. The 20-year-old academy graduate has been a victim of instability and turnover since breaking through in 2024.
After making 14 appearances during the 2024/25 season under Enzo Maresca and subsequently being promoted permanently to the first team, Acheampong’s trajectory appeared to be moving upwards.
Following the unforeseen injury to Colwill on the eve of the 2025/26 campaign, there appeared to be a potential pathway for Acheampong to earn increased game time. Despite making 30 appearances across all competitions the following season, his development still felt like it had stalled, with just 13 of those 30 appearances coming as starts.
Following Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup, a match in which Acheampong completed the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet, Alonso singled out the defender and praised his contribution so far this season.
Alonso said, as quoted by Chelsea’s in-house media team: “With Josh, in pre-season we saw that he has been getting better and better.”
The new boss continued to praise what the England Under-21 international can bring to the team.
“When he plays with confidence and aggressiveness, he has a lot of attributes for a modern defender because he can play in different positions, he’s good with the ball, and he understands his role.”
With the transfer window closing on September 1, Acheampong has been the subject of interest from some of the biggest clubs across Europe. At the beginning of the window, it was reported that he would be deemed ‘untouchable’, and to date, Chelsea have maintained that stance.
Alonso also backed that stance and seemed to hint that his plans include the defender.
“There will be different moments in the season for sure, because we want to have healthy competition in all positions. But Josh is doing well and we’re happy for him, and he is happy as well.”
Fofana return potentially raises doubts
As Fofana is back from his two-match suspension after being sent off on the final day of last season, Alonso has a decision to make.
With Acheampong having played every available minute so far and yet to put a foot wrong, does Alonso disrupt his momentum or bring Fofana straight back into the fold? Only Alonso can make that call.
A deeper look at the data suggests it could be a closer decision than initially assumed. Despite Acheampong being flawless so far, Fofana played the most minutes during pre-season under the new manager, clocking up 353 minutes.
With Chelsea not competing in Europe and facing a demanding Premier League schedule, any decision to include the 25-year-old French defender could prove to be a calculated risk.
The 44-year-old has already faced plenty of difficult decisions during his managerial career. Given his credentials, whatever he decides will likely have the backing of both his players and supporters, provided results continue to go well.
For Acheampong, the hope will be that he does not have to endure another season wondering ‘what if’.