Chelsea seek solution in Josh Acheampong contract stand-off

Chelsea will try to solve the contract stand-off with Josh Acheampong after believing a new deal had been agreed with the highly-rated teenager.

Acheampong has been told he will not play for the first team or development squad after mysteriously reneging on a new long-term contract that Chelsea believed was ready to be signed.

Chelsea were left bewildered when they found out the contract would not be signed, but remain keen to try to find a compromise with 18-year-old Acheampong, who they rate highly.

The defender has 18 months left on his current contract and is not expected to play for the first team or the development side while Chelsea attempt to solve the stand-off.

Chelsea are not the only club to take such a stance over a young player who has not committed their long-term future to the club, but it will nonetheless concern supporters who have followed Acheampong’s progress.

Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and even Real Madrid have been linked with Acheampong, who was handed his Chelsea first-team debut at the end of last season against Tottenham Hotspur and was taken on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Chelsea believe they have demonstrated to Acheampong and their other talented young players that there is a pathway to the first team and a willingness to give homegrown talent a chance.

Acheampong made an appearance as a substitute against Barrow in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, along with another teenager, 18-year-old Tyrique George.

Chelsea declined to comment, but, speaking exclusively to Telegraph Sport earlier this month, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart underlined the club’s commitment to its academy.

Winstanley said: “It’s really important for us to bring through players. We’ve got Tyrique George at the moment who’s going well. Josh [Acheampong] has had a debut. Kiano [Dyer] is really close. We’ve got Shim [Mheuka] who’s coming through in the academy, who we’re really excited about.”

Stewart added: “There’s nothing we want more than players coming through the academy, through the system and playing in the first team.

“Obviously, over time there will be a standard and a level that makes it challenging. I think if we look at the recent history – even the last few years when we’ve been here – the minutes for academy players, the debuts, stacks up against any other team in the Premier League. There’s not teams that are out there who are playing more academy players for significant minutes.

“So, absolutely, we’re investing in the academy, we continue to invest in the academy and we’ve got a plan for the academy. We want to absolutely have the best academy of the future. It’s a big part of how we want to operate.”