Chelsea taking steps to ward off Real Madrid interest in defender as contract agreement is “close” | OneFootball

In 2025, Real Madrid will almost certainly aim to sign at least one right-back, given that Dani Carvajal (who is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury) and Lucas Vazquez are coming towards the end of their careers. At least one successor is needed soon, and while Trent Alexander-Arnold has been strongly linked, he is not the only Premier League that is being courted by Los Blancos.

Josh Acheampong is well-liked by Real Madrid, and given that his contractual situation at Chelsea has been up in the air over the last few months, it has given hope to the defending La Liga and European champions. However, those hopes could now be dashed,

As per Diario AS, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that a new deal for Acheampong is “close”. Once it is finalised, it is believed that he would become a permanent fixture in the first team.

Acheampong’s current deal ends in 2026, which is why Real Madrid had a good chance of signing him. However, if he does renew, it would end their pursuit for the time being.