English-born of Ghanaian descent, Josh Acheampong, has been sidelined at Chelsea until he commits to a long-term contract at the club.

According to reports, the versatile defender has been told 'he will not play for the first team unless he signs a new contract.'

Acheampong was one of the many academy players who were handed their debut at the tail end of the 2023/24 season under Mauricio Pochettino.

The 18-year-old made his debut for the club in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in May coming for the last 12 minutes of the encounter.

The youngster was seen as the club's third-choice right-back after Reece James and Malo Gusto. Under Enzo Maresca, Acheampong played 27 minutes in the EFL Cup game against Barrow in September, with that being his only appearance so far.

The highly-rated defender and the club had in the past opened talks over the possibility of extending his contract but no agreement has been reached yet.

The player is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2026 having only signed his first professional contract recently.

Acheampong has been a subject of interest from clubs including Liverpool but Chelsea are confident of resolving the situation.