Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is just over 12 months older than Josh Acheampong. They started the season with one Premier League appearance between them (a brief substitute outing for Acheampong last May).
Huijsen has now played 18 more than Acheampong. He has started all of those compared to Acheampong's two. A £50million price tag hangs on his head.
Chelsea, it is said, are one of the teams interested in buying him over the summer. They will not be the only club. Huijsen and his partner at Bournemouth, Ilya Zabarnyi, have been excellent under Andoni Iraola this season.
When injuries hit Bournemouth they stood up and shone. Acheampong, on the other hand, has been left to watch on largely from the sidelines.
When Chelsea were without their first two right-backs earlier this season, Acheampong was left unused whilst centre-backs Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana played instead. It's no surprise that Chelsea then had to work hard to convince Acheampong to sign a new contract. He was effectively fifth choice on the right and even further back in the centre, which is where he would ideally play more.
In December, after two months, in which Huijsen was developing and impressing on the south coast, Acheampong was welcomed back into the picture having been frozen out from training and playing in a bid to make him commit for the long-term. Chelsea know that there are a host of clubs across the continent who would love to have picked him up.
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are among them. Premier League sides will be snapping around as well at the first sign of discontent. Acheampong captained England's Under-19 side on Wednesday, driving from defence and assisting a goal in a 2-0 win.
His ability to shut down space, deal with attackers both out wide and through the middle is exceptional, not just for his age. Acheampong is an adventurous passer but can also dribble, carrying the ball forward. He is happy to fight in the air and reads the game well on the floor.
His positioning and footwork are elite for an 18-year-old. He is sharp to close down but wary and a good judge of when to hold off and delay. He plays with maturity and calmness.
Enzo Maresca has been reticent to use him, regardless. His reward for signing a new contract has been just four Premier League appearances. He has been on the bench throughout but was only given the final 10 minutes of a 4-0 win over Southampton, which could easily have been a start.
Acheampong was left unused in the Conference League away to FC Copenhagen on a night whereby Tyrique George and Shumaira Mheuka started. He was hooked at half-time in the second leg after being deployed at left-back.
At a crucial time for his physical growth and professional development, Acheampong has been limited to less than 400 minutes. Huijsen, by contrast, has more than 2,000.
Josh Acheampong in action
Josh Acheampong in action for Chelsea (Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside)
The slight age gap is a fair caveat. Huijsen played top-level football last season with Roma before being picked up for under £15million. It took injuries for him to really be considered at Bournemouth. There is less pressure on Iraola to be consistently winning matches and it is perhaps a safer environment for younger players.
Huijsen only has a marginal advantage over Acheampong at this stage last year, when he too was making cautious steps in Serie A. He hardly played in the final two months of the campaign.
The issue is that Huijsen has been allowed to flourish. He has been provided a platform and the opportunity. When Acheampong started Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in early January it was his second in a row. He has played less than 10 minutes (without stoppage time) in the 10 weeks since.
Huijsen hasn't missed a minute of league action since the end of November. It is no surprise that one is being touted as a top target for clubs around the world. It's not hard to imagine a world where Acheampong has a similar trajectory.
Whether Chelsea go on to buy Huijsen or not is mostly irrelevant. If the club had offered Acheampong more of a chance to develop or prove himself by this stage then they wouldn't have to even consider it.
Being alert to talent is one thing, and there are no suggestions yet that Huijsen is anywhere near certain to move to Stamford Bridge. Just the thought of it will be a concern for Acheampong, though. Chelsea have to protect their own and save themselves millions in the process.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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