Chelsea Receive ‘Inquiry’ From Premier League Rival for Wonderkid Defender | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have approached Chelsea over a season-long loan deal for highly-rated defender Josh Acheampong.

The 19-year-old signed a new deal with Chelsea last December after he’d been initially exiled by the Blues due to complications during contract discussions, and he’s since made a sizeable impression on those at Stamford Bridge.

The right-back, who can also feature in central defence, has made 14 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, including an outing against Espérance de Tunis at the Club World Cup en route to the Blues reaching this Sunday’s final.

However, Acheampong faces a difficult path into the first team as he attempts to rise above club captain Reece James and exciting Frenchman Malo Gusto in the pecking order, leading to speculation over his future.

Acheampong (right) has huge potential. / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

According to the Telegraph, Palace are one side aiming to profit from such uncertainty and have “inquired” about taking Acheampong on loan for the 2025–26 season.

Palace and Chelsea have done plenty of business in recent years, especially with the Blues loaning players to their fellow Londoners. Trevoh Chalobah and Ben Chilwell both spent spells at Selhurst Park last term, while Conor Gallagher, Michy Batshuayi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all had stints with the Eagles while playing for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca has recently admitted his desire to keep Acheampong at Chelsea next season and beyond, but whether the Italian is willing to change his mind and listen to loan offers for the defender remains to be seen.

“My idea, my plan with Josh is quite clear. I really like Josh and I think potentially he can be a top defender for this club,” said Maresca during Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign. “We are full of young players here, full of talented players, even defenders, so I feel the best plan for Josh is to be with us, and I’m very happy if he’s going to be with us.”