'Premier League centre back' – Pundit backs Chelsea teenager at 'different level' this season

“You can hear it in what Maresca said: ‘I really like Josh. We showed him confidence last season, he’s doing well. It’s important that he is ready when others are out.’ To step up from playing the occasional game last to playing three or four in a row consistently, at that level, that’s going to be the challenge. If he does that, we are at a different level, and we’re playing a different game this season,” presenter Nick Verlaney said.

“To see the joy and like genuine surprise on his face when he puts the header in the upper 90 from the set piece. It’s just such a feel good story to me. These are two back to back performances that are truly Premier League centre back worthy performances form Josh.”

Sadly, if anything, we think Acheampong will play less this season than last season. He racked up starts in the Europa Conference League, and this year he won’t get those chances. Clearly he’s in the mix to pick up games in defence when players are out, but he won’t get the regular, almost weekly starts he did a year ago unless there’s a major change.

Hopefully fewer starts, but at a higher level, should help him in a different way.

You can see their discussion in the clip embedded here:

In other news…

Diego Moreira is another young player we’ve shuffled around in recent years – and there’s a sense we may have cashed in on him too soon, given he’s now being linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge.

Moreira isn’t the only Strasbourg player we’re being linked with. Guela Doue is having a great season at right back, and today the Blues were linked with €30m interest in the Ivory Coast international.