Chelsea's academy has been a production line for England defenders, and Josh Acheampong could become the latest to take that step. Since John Terry broke through in the early 2000s, Chelsea have produced Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori for England, while also developing international centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake.
Acheampong has started six of Chelsea's past nine matches in all competitions. Only four players have played more minutes than his 581 under new manager Xabi Alonso. Much of that has stemmed from Alonso settling on a more consistent side. Chelsea had conceded a league-high 12 goals before the international break but have let in only one since, including their first clean sheet of the season away at Everton on Saturday.
The 20-year-old has operated as a roaming centre-back in a back three alongside Colwill and Maxence Lacroix, stepping into midfield or moving wide when in possession. He has also developed a promising understanding with right wing-back Pedro Neto, combining with him in the move that led to Joao Pedro's goal against Bournemouth, while keeping £75m signing Wesley Fofana out of the side.
Acheampong is under contract until 2029, and sources within Chelsea have repeatedly insisted he is "untouchable" despite frequent transfer links. Increasingly, he appears to be knocking on the door of a senior call-up under manager Thomas Tuchel, while also starting eight of England Under-21s' past 10 matches.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing